“THE SCOREBOARD”
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
ALL-STAR BREAK
MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SCORES
NO GAMES SCHEDULED
NBA SUMMER LEAGUE SCORES
MIAMI 92 DALLAS 79
NEW YORK 106 SACRAMENTO 105
UTAH 86 TORONTO 76
BOSTON 89 CHARLOTTE 84
MEMPHIS 104 ORLANDO 98
PHOENIX 100 OKLAHOMA CITY 99
LA LAKERS 87 ATLANTA 86
GOLDEN STATE 96 CLEVELAND 85
WNBA SCORES
DALLAS 101 INDIANA 93
MINNESOTA 86 ATLANTA 79
MLS
NEW YORK 2 MONTRÉAL 2
COLUMBUS 1 CHARLOTTE 1
PHILADELPHIA 5 NEW ENGLAND 1
MIAMI 3 TORONTO 1
CHICAGO 1 CINCINNATI 0
NEW YORK CITY 2 ATLANTA 2
ORLANDO CITY 3 NASHVILLE 0
DC 3 MINNESOTA 2
DALLAS 3 AUSTIN 1
VANCOUVER 2 KANSAS CITY 1
SEATTLE 2 ST. LOUIS 0
LA GALAXY 3 COLORADO 2
HOUSTON 1 SAN JOSE 0
SALT LAKE 1 LOS ANGELES 1
NFL TRAINING CAMP DATES
ARIZONA CARDINALS
ROOKIES: JULY 23. VETERANS: JULY 23.
ATLANTA FALCONS
ROOKIES: JULY 24. VETERANS: JULY 24.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
ROOKIES: JULY 13. VETERANS: JULY 20.
BUFFALO BILLS
ROOKIES: JULY 16. VETERANS: JULY 23.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
ROOKIES: JULY 19. VETERANS: JULY 23.
CHICAGO BEARS
ROOKIES: JULY 16. VETERANS: JULY 19.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
ROOKIES: JULY 20. VETERANS: JULY 23.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
ROOKIES: JULY 22. VETERANS: JULY 23.
DALLAS COWBOYS
ROOKIES: JULY 24. VETERANS: JULY 24.
DENVER BRONCOS
ROOKIES: JULY 17. VETERANS: JULY 23.
DETROIT LIONS
ROOKIES: JULY 20. VETERANS: JULY 23.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
ROOKIES: JULY 17. VETERANS: JULY 21.
HOUSTON TEXANS
ROOKIES: JULY 17. VETERANS: JULY 17.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
ROOKIES: JULY 24. VETERANS: JULY 24.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
ROOKIES: JULY 19. VETERANS: JULY 23.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
ROOKIES: JULY 16. VETERANS: JULY 20.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
ROOKIES: JULY 21. VETERANS: JULY 23.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
ROOKIES: JULY 16. VETERANS: JULY 23.
LOS ANGELES RAMS
ROOKIES: JULY 23. VETERANS: JULY 23.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
ROOKIES: JULY 16. VETERANS: JULY 23.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
ROOKIES: JULY 21. VETERANS: JULY 23.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
ROOKIES: JULY 19. VETERANS: JULY 23.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
ROOKIES: JULY 16. VETERANS: JULY 23.
NEW YORK GIANTS
ROOKIES: JULY 16. VETERANS: JULY 23.
NEW YORK JETS
ROOKIES: JULY 18. VETERANS: JULY 23.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
ROOKIES: JULY 23. VETERANS: JULY 23.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
ROOKIES: JULY 24. VETERANS: JULY 24.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
ROOKIES: JULY 16. VETERANS: JULY 23.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
ROOKIES: JULY 17. VETERANS: JULY 23.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
ROOKIES: JULY 22. VETERANS: JULY 23.
TENNESSEE TITANS
ROOKIES: JULY 23. VETERANS: JULY 23.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
ROOKIES: JULY 18. VETERANS: JULY 23.
NFL WEEK ONE SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, SEPT. 5
- BALTIMORE RAVENS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, 8:20 P.M. ET (NBC)
FRIDAY, SEPT. 6
- GREEN BAY PACKERS VS. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (IN SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL), 8:15 P.M. ET (PEACOCK)
SUNDAY, SEPT. 8
- PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- ARIZONA CARDINALS AT BUFFALO BILLS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- TENNESSEE TITANS AT CHICAGO BEARS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- HOUSTON TEXANS AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS, 1 P.M. ET (CBS)
- CAROLINA PANTHERS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT NEW YORK GIANTS, 1 P.M. ET (FOX)
- LAS VEGAS RAIDERS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS, 4:05 P.M. ET (CBS)
- DENVER BRONCOS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS, 4:05 P.M. ET (CBS)
- DALLAS COWBOYS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS, 4:25 P.M. ET (CBS)
- WASHINGTON COMMANDERS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, 4:25 P.M. ET (FOX)
- LOS ANGELES RAMS AT DETROIT LIONS, 8:20 P.M. ET (NBC)
MONDAY, SEPT. 9
- NEW YORK JETS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, 8:15 P.M. ET (ESPN/ABC)
TOP NATIONAL SPORTS HEADLINES
BASEBALL NEWS
RHP DOMINGO GERMAN EXERCISES OPT OUT, RELEASED BY PIRATES
Right-hander Domingo German has exercised an opt-out clause in his contract and has been released by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Signed to a minor-league deal, German posted a 4-4 record with a 5.35 ERA in 10 starts for Triple-A Indianapolis. He also allowed one run on three hits in four innings in one start with Single-A Bradenton.
German, who turns 32 on Aug. 4, is just over 13 months removed from tossing a perfect game with the New York Yankees. He was placed on the restricted list Aug. 2 and entered an alcohol treatment program before being granted free agency on Nov. 6. He signed with the Pirates on March 16.
German went 5-7 with a 4.56 ERA in 20 appearances (19 starts) last season. The highlight was the perfect game in Oakland on June 28, 2023.
In May of 2023, German was suspended 10 games and fined by Major League Baseball for violating policies regarding the use of foreign substances.
Overall, German is 31-28 with a 4.41 ERA in 112 appearances (89 starts) since reaching the majors with New York in 2017.
German was 18-4 in 2019 before his season ended in September when MLB placed him on administrative leave after domestic violence allegations. He was suspended for 63 games (making the total 81 for his punishment) in January 2020 and missed the entire COVID-19 shortened season.
WHITE SOX SIGN 3B NICK SENZEL
The Chicago White Sox signed free agent third baseman Nick Senzel on Wednesday.
Financial terms of the deal were not announced.
Senzel, 29, was designated for assignment by the Washington Nationals on July 6 and released five days later. He appeared in 64 games for Washington this year, hitting .209 with seven home runs and 18 RBIs.
In six major league seasons with the Cincinnati Reds (2019-23) and Nationals, Senzel has posted a .235 batting average across 441 games. He has 40 homers and 143 RBIs.
Chicago officially made two others moves on Wednesday, designating Danny Mendick for assignment and optioning fellow third baseman Lenyn Sosa to Triple-A Charlotte.
Mendick, 30, was hitting just .197 across 47 games this season. He had three home runs and eight RBIs.
The 24-year-old Sosa has hit .237 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 52 big-league games with the White Sox in 2024.
The Athletic reported that Martin Maldonado also was designated for assignment after the catcher hit a measly .119 with four homers and 11 RBIs in 48 games this season.
LHP DALLAS KEUCHEL ELECTS FREE AGENCY AFTER DFA FROM BREWERS
Veteran left-hander Dallas Keuchel elected to become a free agent Wednesday, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported, after he was designated for assignment by the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday and cleared waivers.
Milwaukee acquired Keuchel, 36, in a deal with the Seattle Mariners on June 25 and added to the starting rotation after a number of injuries to the starting staff.
In four starts with the Brewers this season, Keuchel had a 5.40 ERA in 16 2/3 innings without a decision. In 13 major league seasons, the 2015 American League Cy Young Award winner with the Houston Astros is 103-92 with a 4.04 ERA in 282 appearances (267 starts).
After pitching his first seven seasons with the Astros, Keuchel has made appearances for six different teams in the past six seasons.
WITH 24 TEAMS IN PLAYOFF HUNT, PLAYERS EXCITED FOR SECOND HALF
ARLINGTON, Texas — The All-Star festivities always provide a nice respite for players and fans alike amid the regular season grind.
The Home Run Derby delivered an entertaining battle in the finals between champion Teoscar Hernandez and runner-up Bobby Witt Jr.
The All-Star Game itself had memorable moments, including Shohei Ohtani going deep for the first time in the Midsummer Classic and Jarren Duran winning MVP honors by belting the go-ahead two-run blast for the American League.
Now it’s back to reality and what has the makings of a wild second half for baseball. There are 24 teams within 7 1/2 games of a playoff spot.
“Every single team you face is going to put up a really good challenge,” Baltimore catcher Adley Rutschman said.
The Orioles ended the first half with a one-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East. The Boston Red Sox sit just 4 1/2 games back of the division lead and have a two-game cushion as the final wild card team.
“Pretty good first half. Job’s not done though,” Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck said. “I want to see this all the way through, play 162 (games) as a group. We’re exciting. We’re young. I feel privileged to show up in that locker room every day with those guys and go about our business.”
The AL West is just as stacked with the Seattle Mariners holding a one-game lead over the Houston Astros and the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers five games back.
In the AL Central, the Cleveland Guardians have a 4 1/2-game lead over the Minnesota Twins. The resurgent Kansas City Royals still are in the playoff mix at seven games back in the division and two back in the wild card.
“Our team has to trust everything day by day and not worry about standings,” said Witt, the Royals’ standout shortstop. “Just take everything one pitch at a time, one day at a time, and look up in September and see where we’re at.”
There is more separation in the NL divisions with the Philadelphia Phillies enjoying baseball’s best record at 62-34 and leading the NL East by 8 1/2 games. The Los Angeles Dodgers have a seven-game cushion in the NL West, while the Milwaukee Brewers are leading the St. Louis Cardinals by 4 1/2 games in the NL Central.
The real drama will likely come in the wild card hunt. The NL has nine teams within 3 1/2 games of a wild card spot.
“There’s a lot of good teams,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith said. “We pay attention to the standings, but we’re really focused on one game at a time. It’ll be a competitive second half. We’ll have to go out there and play good baseball to win our division.”
In the AL wild card race, there are eight teams within 7 1/2 games of the final spot. The Detroit Tigers are seven games out, but there’s no reason to think they can’t make a legitimate run after closing the first half by winning eight of their last 10.
Asked his goals for the second half, Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal said: “One, obviously to stay healthy and stick with the routine, and then see how many games we can win in the second half and play for something down the stretch.”
Playing for something down the stretch is the goal for any team and it’ll be a dogfight to the end. It’s hard to rule out any team at this point.
That includes the Rangers, who are looking to become the first team to repeat as World Series champions since the Yankees won three straight titles from 1998-2000.
“We’ve had a slow start, but we’re trending in the right direction,” Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien said. “We’ve got pitching coming. (Max) Scherzer is coming back. We’ve got a couple pretty good position players coming back, too. So once we get healthy and we’re all swinging the bat well, I think we’re a scary team.”
MLB FUTURES: FINDING BETTING VALUE TO START THE SECOND HALF
With the All-Star Game in the books, the second half of the season begins on Friday, making now the time to check out futures markets.
There’s value available if you know where to look.
A team or player on this list offers excellent value for the bet in question. It might be because of a surprise season or reflect a decent team that’s one bat or arm away from making a title run. It certainly won’t be the Chicago White Sox, who have provided no value at all this season and sit an incredible 32.5 games out of first place in the American League Central.
Here’s a dive into the available plays with a few values remaining on the board.
World Series
The biggest bet on the board offers a fair amount of value for anyone ready to buy into the surprise teams of the 2024 season.
You can still get the Cleveland Guardians at FanDuel at +1800 despite the club leading the AL with a .611 winning percentage.
At the other end of the spectrum — not quite as distant are the White Sox and Oakland Athletics — the Toronto Blue Jays have been one of the year’s biggest disappointments. The Jays were a dark horse World Series play, but they’re now going off at +30000 to win the title at multiple books.
While the Jays struggle, the best value lies in their division. The Baltimore Orioles (+700) have almost every piece of the puzzle to win a world title. They score the second-most runs in the American League and boast a quality rotation, key to any series in their own division. The big question with Baltimore is what the Orioles have learned from last year’s flameout. Baltimore got swept out of the playoffs last season, and the young club remains in the proving grounds this postseason.
One team they’ll need to watch is the Houston Astros (+2000), who are built for the postseason. Unlike Baltimore, Houston has proven it can handle postseason pressures. If the Astros make the playoffs, they are dangerous, especially if aging ace Justin Verlander gets back to form.
AL Winner
Getting the Guardians (+700) at this price is insane. Their bullpen has dominated this season, posting a 2.62 ERA. From the book perspective, the Guardians aren’t likely to get as much action as the more popular New York Yankees, Orioles or Astros to win the American League.
The Boston Red Sox (+1600) also represent incredible value. They’re a longshot because they’ll be hard-pressed to beat the Orioles for the division, but if they qualify, they have the potential to be disruptive.
NL Winner
The National League could come down to East behemoths, the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies. Dismissing the Dodgers seems foolhardy, but Los Angeles doesn’t have the pitching to get through a short series at the moment. The value isn’t there to take Philadelphia (+210), but the Phils are so tough at home that it’s not the worst play on the board.
If value is the play, try the Pittsburgh Pirates (+12000). They have the fourth-worst odds because everyone believes the owners will go cheap at the deadline. But if the Pirates stay the course, they’re close to a playoff slot.
AL MVP
Aaron Judge (-370) is having a phenomenal year. The question is not whether he’ll win the MVP, but whether he’ll win the Triple Crown. The Yankees aren’t the same team without him. At -370, there is no value here. The next best play is Gunnar Henderson (+310), but the Orioles’ shortstop just hasn’t matched Judge in any production category.
NL MVP
Even without his pitching abilities, Shohei Ohtani remains an otherworldly talent. Ohtani’s name recognition and talent level means he’s almost certain to win this award. Taking anyone else seems foolish, but the -375 odds indicate books think this race is over.
Bryce Harper (+410) is at least in the mix and has had months where he’s unstoppable. But Ohtani’s hitting has been second to none and he faces a below-average second half schedule. That should give him a big edge.
FOOTBALL NEWS
TEXANS SIGN FORMER LIONS WR QUINTEZ CEPHUS
The Houston Texans have signed free agent wide receiver Quintez Cephus, according to his agents.
SportsTrust Advisors announced the deal on Tuesday but did not disclose any contract terms.
Cephus, 26, missed the entire 2023 season while serving a suspension for violating the NFL’s gambling policy.
He was reinstated by the league in April and signed with the Buffalo Bills, who released him on May 16.
Cephus was a fifth-round pick by Detroit in 2020 and caught 37 passes for 568 yards and four touchdowns in 22 games (six starts) from 2020-22. The Lions released him after his suspension.
REPORTS: G QUINN MEINERZ LANDS 4-YEAR EXTENSION WITH BRONCOS
The Denver Broncos are signing guard Quinn Meinerz to a four-year, $80 million extension, ESPN and NFL Network reported Tuesday night.
Meinerz will be with Denver through the 2028 season, and the deal includes $45 million guaranteed, per ESPN.
In three seasons with the Broncos, the 25-year-old Meinerz has played in 45 games, making 39 starts. He was a third-round pick (98th overall) by Denver in the 2021 draft.
Training camp starts on July 26 for Denver.
CHIEFS ARRIVE TO CAMP EARLY FOR EXTRA WORK WITH PATRICK MAHOMES
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and several rookies reported to training camp as Kansas City sets the course for a bid at history.
Mahomes and the Chiefs are chasing a Super Bowl three-peat and clocked in for the 2024 season well before the official start of Kansas City’s training camp at Missouri Western in St. Joseph, Mo.
Mahomes and the other quarterbacks on the roster know the benefit of getting extra reps with rookies and newcomers, including wide receivers like first-round pick Xavier Worthy and free-agent addition Marquise “Hollywood” Brown.
Worthy could be cast for a bigger role with second-year receiver Rashee Rice facing potential off-field punishment from the NFL for his offseason arrest for street racing and leaving the scene of a wreck in Texas. Police alleged in a warrant stemming from the March 30 crash that Rice was driving in excess of 115 mph and the 23-year-old was behind the wheel of a Lamborghini when he hit the median wall and “caused a chain reaction collision involving four other vehicles.”
Already a faster runner than former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill, at least on the stopwatch, Worthy ran a record-breaking 4.21-second 40-yard dash at the combine. Hill was timed at 4.29 seconds during his 2016 pro day. Worthy now is rapidly acclimating into an offense focused on spreading around the ball.
“There’s no easing,” Mahomes said of expectations for Worthy. “He’s going to have to be ready to go. We got a lot of competition on this offense. He got a lot of mental work in these last few weeks that he had during OTAs and minicamp, but it’s time to go now. Y’all saw it with Rashee last year and some of the throwing-up days he had. We’re going to push you to the limit and prepare yourself to be ready to go for the season. That’s not just (Worthy). That’s everybody and everybody has to have that mentality when they come into camp.”
Worthy was limited to “mental reps” in OTAs because of a hamstring injury. But head coach Andy Reid said the injury isn’t a factor now and declared Worthy ready to go.
“It was driving him crazy to have to watch,” Reid said of Worthy, the No. 28 pick in the draft. “You don’t want to be the No. 1 pick, come in and be sitting on the bench and watching. He’s a competitive kid that wants to be in there, and we’re gonna get him going.”
Worthy, 21, had his most complete college season as a junior at Texas in 2023, catching 75 passes for 1,014 yards and five touchdowns. He had 26 career touchdown receptions in 39 games and averaged 14.0 yards per catch for the Longhorns.
General manager Brett Veach said Worthy was targeted by the Chiefs for his scoring production and special-teams value. Kansas City moved up 38 spots in a trade with the Buffalo Bills to make the pick. Now it’s up to Worthy to prove Veach right.
“It’s all go. Once you’re here, you’re here,” Worthy said. “I understand definitely what Pat’s saying, and just to build that connection with him is going to be key here.”
BROWNS QB DESHAUN WATSON BACK TO THROWING DAILY
After playing just six games last season and not taking the field after Week 10, Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson said Wednesday that he has resumed a daily throwing program in advance of training camp.
Watson added that his throwing sessions have included passes to wide receiver Amari Cooper, who did not participate in mandatory minicamp in June amid a contract dispute.
“For me to even be back throwing the football is my top point that I’ve been locked in with,” said Watson, who participated in the minicamp.
Watson did not say if he has been cleared as a full participant when training camp begins for veterans on Tuesday.
Watson, 28, came away with a displaced fracture in his right shoulder during a Nov. 12 game against the Baltimore Ravens. Shoulder issues also prevented Watson from playing three previous games.
Watson’s injury issues led to Joe Flacco making five starts and rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson making three, while P.J. Walker made two and Jeff Driskel made one.
In his six games during the 2023 season, Watson threw for 1,115 yards and completed 61.4 percent of his passes. He had seven touchdown passes with four interceptions.
Watson has passed for 16,756 yards with 118 TDs and 45 interceptions over six seasons with the Houston Texans (2017-20) and Browns. He was acquired by Cleveland in advance of the 2022 season after he did not play in the 2021 campaign following a trade request and multiple sexual harassment allegations.
KALEN DEBOER EMBRACES ELEVATED EXPECTATIONS AT ALABAMA
Nick Saban coached at Alabama for 17 seasons. Successor Kalen DeBoer has had the job for about six months, but knows there is no honeymoon period for a program with perennial national championship aspirations.
“This program is special, and I take it as a great honor to be the one that gets to do everything we can to carry on the great tradition,” DeBoer said Wednesday at SEC media days in Dallas.
“… It’s been just an awesome blessing to be a part of this program, to continue to have that expectation on us. The alternative is to be at places where there aren’t expectations.”
Winners of six national championships and nine SEC titles under Saban, the Crimson Tide enter a new era under in Tuscaloosa under DeBoer, 49.
He guided the Washington Huskies to a 14-1 record last season, falling to Michigan in the CFP national title game. His overall record is 104-12 including time at NAIA Sioux Falls (2005-09), Fresno State (2020-21) and Washington (2022-23).
“I would not trade my journey for anything,” said DeBoer, who also spent time as the offensive coordinator at Southern Illinois, Eastern Michigan and Indiana. “It gives me an appreciation for where I’m at. It gives me an appreciation for the people I have around me.”
DeBoer inherits a team that finished 12-2 after defeating Georgia in the SEC Championship game and losing to Michigan in the Rose Bowl.
“We had a great winter, great spring, and really looking forward to the season that lies ahead,” he said.
Alabama opens against Western Kentucky on Aug. 31. The schedule gets tougher with a Sept. 14 trip to Wisconsin and a Sept. 28 home date with Georgia.
By DeBoer’s count, the Tide return five starters on offense and five on defense. They lost two players to the transfer portal but picked up 14 others.
“I think we’ve brought in some players to help add to, again, not just the depth but also to build and have an elite level of starters on the football field for us when Aug. 31 comes around,” he said.
“I think their mindset of just going 1-0 and winning the day is something that I preach to them, and they’ve taken on that challenge. They show up, they put in the extra work, they try to — they understand that everyone is doing the same things, you’ve just got to do it better and do it more often than those that we’re going to be competing against throughout the season.”
BILLY NAPIER: FLORIDA ‘ON SCHEDULE’ DESPITE ON-FIELD RESULTS
On the hot seat entering his third season in Gainesville, Billy Napier insisted Wednesday that Florida’s rebuild is “on schedule to some degree.”
The Gators went 6-7 with a Las Vegas Bowl loss in Napier’s first season and 5-7 in 2023. The coach Napier replaced at Florida, Dan Mullen, went 34-15 in his four seasons on the job, a loss total Napier is danger of matching before October due to a highly challenging schedule.
The pressure is on Napier, who was a successful Group of Five-level coach at Louisiana before taking over at Florida. Before taking the podium at SEC media days Wednesday in Dallas, Napier spoke with a smaller group of reporters.
“Change doesn’t happen overnight,” Napier said. “I think ultimately, timing is everything. When we took the job, what we inherited, the work that needed to be done, I think we’re on schedule to some degree. Should we have won a couple games down the stretch? Would I have liked to close some of those games out in the fourth quarter? Absolutely. But the reality is, I think from a systems standpoint, a process standpoint, in-house, the culture, I think we’ve made tremendous progress.”
Florida was seen as behind the times when Napier was hired. The program opened a new state-of-the-art practice facility in 2022. The Gators were also involved in an NIL melodrama with quarterback Jaden Rashada, as the sought-after prospect revoked his commitment when a reported $13.85 million NIL agreement fell through. Rashada is now suing the school and Napier.
“(College football has) changed significantly every six months, every season, every offseason,” Napier said. “Not only are we trying to create culture at Florida; we’re building new facilities, we’re creating infrastructure.
“You go back to the very beginning, you’re hiring a staff, you’re trying to improve the roster. The game continued to evolve while we’ve been doing that, so that’s where the challenge has been.”
Florida stuffed its nonconference schedule with in-state rivals. The Gators open at home against Miami. After its first two SEC games against Texas A&M and at Mississippi State, they host UCF, expected to be one of the better teams in the Big 12 this year. And as usual, they end the regular season against rival Florida State, which will be in Tallahassee this year.
“It’s a unique year,” Napier said. “I think ultimately when you think about all the P4 teams, each conference represented to some degree, two teams from the ACC and the Big 12, it’s an incredible opportunity, and I think it’s going to be huge. Each one of those matchups is critical. We have a ton of respect for each one of those teams and coaches, and it’s part of the schedule that everybody likes to talk about.”
Napier will be relying on Graham Mertz, who’s returning as the starting quarterback. Mertz had a statistically middling campaign for Wisconsin in 2022 (57.3 percent passing, 2,136 yards, 19 touchdowns, 10 interceptions) but improved his game by a large margin with the Gators last year, completing 72.9 percent of his passes with a 20-3 touchdown-interception ratio.
Mertz said the idea of his coach being on the hot seat and the pressure to perform in 2024 is just chatter.
“That’s exactly what it is,” Mertz said. “For us, and I always tell my guys every day, ‘Look, we can focus on what people are saying or we can focus on what we are doing.’ I think that’s where, regardless of what you are doing in life … if you’re worried about external things, that’s where your focus is, that’s where all your energy is gonna go.
“For my team and my guys, I see a group of guys that are all striving to get a little bit better every day.”
TEXAS QB QUINN EWERS ON NFL WAIT: ‘WANT TO BE REMEMBERED’
Quinn Ewers considered entering the 2024 NFL Draft before returning to the Longhorns and a crowded quarterback room at Texas based on a self-assessment that kicked back a decisive verdict.
He wasn’t ready.
“I think one of the main things for me was getting more experience under my belt,” Ewers said Wednesday in Dallas at SEC Media Days. “There is a line of demarcation for guys who really have success in the league and, obviously, there are some guys that have rare accounts of it not being this way, but there is a line, kind of 25. Twenty-five (college) starts – you see a jump in how their career went. I just kind of wanted to give myself a better chance to have a long and successful career in the NFL.
“I don’t want to be a guy that just comes and goes. I want to be somebody who is remembered.”
Ewers, 21, will make his 23rd career start on Aug. 31 in Texas’ season opener against Colorado State. Week 2 brings a road game to Ann Arbor to play defending national champion Michigan on a schedule that ends with a Nov. 30 trip to Texas A&M and features traditional Texas rival Oklahoma and a home game against Georgia on back-to-back Saturdays in October.
Ewers passed for 3,479 yards with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions last season but began his college career at Ohio State. He transferred after one season and enrolled at Texas in January 2022, but he already had an education in Michigan football.
“To be the best, you’ve got to play the best. We’re all fired up to go up to Ann Arbor,” he said. “It’s actually my second time going up there. I was up there when Ohio State played ’em back in 2021. It’s going to be cool to go back up there and see, and now I understand the hatred that Ohio State has for them. I understand the rivalry.”
Still No. 1 on a depth chart that includes Arch Manning, Ewers’ evolution stands out to the Texas coaching staff.
“He’s changed his body, he looks great, he understands the system,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said of Ewers on Wednesday. “But the thing I’m probably most proud of him about is his leadership. This guy is exuding confidence right now, and there’s nothing better for anybody in your organization, for anybody in your building to walk in and to say, there’s our guy, and our guy is exuding confidence. He’s carrying himself the right way. He’s doing things the right way, not only on the field but off the field. He’s our leader, and we can unequivocally say that about Quinn Ewers, and I’m proud to have him with us today.”
AS STEVE SARKISIAN GUIDES TEXAS INTO SEC, ‘THE KEY WORD IS RESPECT’
Steve Sarkisian has experienced Southeastern Conference football before, but the magnitude of his current school’s move to the conference hit him before he arrived at media days Wednesday in Dallas.
“So we flew in this morning, we landed, and we get off the plane, we get in the Sprinter van and we got a police escort to media days,” Sarkisian told reporters before cheekily quoting the SEC’s official motto. “‘It just means more?’ It just means more right there. The fact that we had a Sprinter van with a police escort to come to this was tremendous.”
As the nation’s premier football conference welcomes Texas and Oklahoma to its ranks this summer, the head coach of the Longhorns was sure to make it clear that he doesn’t expect to paint the league burnt orange right away.
“As far as our transition into the Southeastern Conference, I think the key word is respect,” Sarkisian said. “We have a ton of respect for this conference. We have a ton of respect for the teams, the coaches, the players and the fans. This is the elite conference in college football, and we’re fortunate enough to be part of it.
“We won’t do anything without having a level of respect of who we play, where we’re playing them, the types of players that they have, the coaching that they have, and I think on the flipside of that, we have to go earn their respect. We’re not going to get anything in this deal. Nothing is going to be free. We’re going to have to go earn the respect of our opponents, the opposing coaches, the opposing fans, and that’s going to be kind of on the forefront of what we do.”
Sarkisian, the former Washington and Southern California head coach, spent 2016 as an offensive analyst for Nick Saban at Alabama and 2019 and 2020 as his offensive coordinator before taking over in Austin. Saban attended SEC media days despite retiring last winter, and Sarkisian expressed his gratitude for the future Hall of Famer helping save his career.
“I would not be standing here today without you and what you’ve meant to my career, to my life, and I can’t thank you enough, and the impact that you’ve had on our game has been second to none, and I just can’t thank you enough,” Sarkisian said to Saban. “I want to be able to publicly do that to you, Coach.”
As for Saban’s earlier declaration that Texas “is not gonna run the SEC,” Sarkisian joked, “Yeah, I gotta talk to him about that.”
Texas joins the SEC coming off its best season in more than a decade. The Longhorns made the College Football Playoff for the first time, where they fell to Washington in the semifinals. They brought back quarterback Quinn Ewers and have Arch Manning, nephew of Peyton and Eli, waiting in the wings.
“We’ve been fortunate to coach some pretty good quarterbacks. We’ve been fortunate to do it for some decades now,” Sarkisian said of his program. “We’ve been fortunate to have some really good quarterback rooms, and I think the Manning family is pretty well aware of that.
“I think they trained Arch to try to put himself in the best position to try to play in the best conference in America and then ultimately put himself in the best position to further his career playing in the National Football League.”
DJ PICKETT, 5-STAR DB IN CLASS OF 2025, COMMITS TO LSU
DJ Pickett, a top-10 prospect in the Class of 2025, committed to LSU on Wednesday evening.
The five-star athlete is ranked as the No. 6 overall player and No. 2 cornerback in the country, according to the 247Sports composite. Pickett also plays on offense at Zephyrhills High School in the Tampa area.
LSU won out for Pickett over finalists Miami and Oregon.
In announcing his commitment to On3, Pickett said LSU secondary coach Corey Raymond was a major reason for choosing the Tigers.
“If you’re a DB, and Coach Raymond’s at LSU, I feel like that’s the right place to be at,” Pickett said. “That tells you everything right there.”
LSU entered the day already ranked No. 6 in the 2025 recruiting cycle by 247Sports. Pickett is the second five-star to commit to Brian Kelly, joining top quarterback and top overall prospect Bryce Underwood.
BASKETBALL NEWS
USA SMOKES SERBIA BEHIND STEPH CURRY, DOMINANT DEFENSE
Team USA ran away from Serbia for a 105-79 exhibition game victory on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi to improve to 3-0 on the team’s pre-Olympics tour.
Bam Adebayo scored at will — inside and out — and helped Anthony Davis make life difficult for Serbian star and three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. Davis had six blocks, including a pin off the glass at the 8-minute mark in the fourth quarter that preceded a standing ovation.
Adebayo had 17 points and eight rebounds, while Steph Curry had 18 points in the first half and finished with six 3s and 24 points.
Team USA made 16 of 36 shots from 3-point range.
Jokic was 6-of-19 shooting and finished with 16 points.
Curry corralled a loose ball and with a lightning release from the left wing, splashed his fifth 3-pointer of the game to inflate the US advantage to 90-61.
LeBron James then emphatically stamped a right-handed slam off a lob from Adebayo.
The next possession was a highlight reel of dribbling and passing that ended with another Curry 3, followed by James getting downhill and powering for a lefty finish and 31-point lead.
Jokic touched the ball on nearly every possession and implored teammates to dig in defensively to no avail. He spent the fourth quarter seated, with Serbia and the US to meet again in the first Pool C game for both countries in the Olympics on July 28.
Shooting and depth stood out as the US gathered around Jokic on the defensive end and spread the ball around with extra passes. Adebayo drained a 3 from the top of the key to push the lead to 81-55 late in the third quarter.
Team USA ended the first half with a finishing kick sparked by high-energy defense and led 59-45 thanks to the bench outscoring the starters, 30-29.
Curry rattled off a solo run of nine consecutive points at the midpoint of the second quarter and Anthony Edwards nailed a 3 to give the US a 47-40 edge with 4:14 left in the half.
Adebayo polished off a 13-2 run with consecutive baskets bookended by a pair of Davis rejections in the lane. After Davis altered another Jokic shot to start the break, Edwards flushed one to extend the lead to 56-42.
Team USA plays two more games before the Olympics begin with pool play this month, with South Sudan up next Saturday in London.
WIZARDS C ALEXANDRE SARR GOES 0-FOR-15 IN SUMMER LEAGUE GAME
Washington Wizards center Alexandre Sarr, the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, went through some growing pains on Tuesday night in a Las Vegas Summer League game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Sarr didn’t score in 30 minutes of action, going 0-for-15 from the field and 0-for-7 from 3-point range. ESPN Stats & Information discovered it was the most field-goal attempts without a basket in Summer League action since at least 2017. He also shot 0-for-2 at the foul line.
Despite the putrid shooting display, Sarr did haul in nine rebounds while dishing out three assists and blocking three shots in Washington’s 82-80 loss.
In three Summer League games, Sarr has averaged 6.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 blocks. He is shooting just 19.5 percent overall and 11.8 percent from deep.
The Wizards are 1-2 in Las Vegas.
REPORT: GARY TRENT JR. AGREES TO 1-YEAR DEAL WITH BUCKS
Free agent guard Gary Trent Jr. has agreed to a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, ESPN reported Tuesday.
Financial terms of the contract were not reported.
Trent, 25, spent last season with the Toronto Raptors, averaging 13.7 points and 2.6 rebounds in 71 games (41 starts). He shot 39.3 percent from 3-point range.
In 341 career games (201 starts) with the Portland Trail Blazers (2018-21) and Raptors (2021-24), Trent has averaged 14.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He has connected on 38.6 percent of his attempts from deep in his six NBA seasons.
Trent, a second-round pick by the Sacramento Kings in the 2018 draft, will once again be playing with Damian Lillard, the Milwaukee star who spent the first 11 seasons of his career in Portland.
Lillard is headed into his second season with the Bucks.
MAGIC CO-FOUNDER PAT WILLIAMS DIES AT 84
Pat Williams, Orlando Magic co-founder and basketball Hall of Famer, died on Wednesday. He was 84.
Williams died of complications from viral pneumonia, the Magic said in a release.
Along with businessman Jimmy Hewitt, Williams started to work toward getting Orlando an NBA franchise back in 1986. A year later, the NBA Board of Governors gave an expansion franchise to the city, and on Dec. 22, 1988, the Magic sold their 10,000th ticket to officially bring the team to the league.
That was just a sliver of Williams’ NBA career, which lasted 51 years and included over 30 with the Magic.
“Pat Williams simply brought magic to Orlando,” Magic chairman Dan DeVos and CEO Alex Martins said in a joint statement. “His accomplishments will always be remembered. Armed with his ever-present optimism and unparalleled energy, he was an incredible visionary who helped transform the world of sports in multiple ways.
“From bringing the Magic to Orlando, to transforming sports marketing and promotions, he was always ahead of the curve. Pat forever changed the sports landscape in Orlando. He shined a light on what those who called Orlando home already knew — that Central Florida was a fabulous place to live, work and play.”
After serving as the 76ers’ business manager in 1968, Williams ended up being general manager of the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks before returning to Philadelphia — where he spent 12 years as the Sixers’ GM.
With Williams’ help, the 76ers won a championship in 1983. Williams moved on from Philadelphia three years later to begin his endeavors with the Magic.
“He loved a challenge, and when he moved our family to Orlando to start the Magic, he was full of excitement and energy that he displayed every day,” Williams’ family said in a statement. “We all grew up believing that anything is possible because of his unwavering enthusiasm for what he was passionate about.
“Those who attended the games, saw him at church or spent time with him in a social setting know that he never met a stranger and was always quick with an encouraging word. He was a giver, a teacher, the ultimate cheerleader, and he was a life-long learner.”
Before his success in basketball, Williams put together a memorable career in baseball, starting with his time at Wake Forest. Williams got a scholarship to attend the university, and he was a three-year letterman as a catcher for the Demon Deacons.
In addition to being a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., Williams is also in the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame.
The Philadelphia Phillies signed Williams in 1962. The catcher spent two seasons with the Miami Marlins, who were a Class A club in the Florida State League. Williams eventually joined their front office in 1964 as business manager, later taking over as general manager of the Spartanburg (S.C.) Phillies in 1965.
Outside the sporting world, Williams was an author, writing over 100 books.
Williams also ran 58 marathons from 1996 to 2011, finishing the Boston Marathon 13 times.
REPORT: BUCKS’ KHRIS MIDDLETON HAS SURGERY ON BOTH ANKLES
Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton is recovering from arthroscopic surgeries on both ankles this offseason, The Athletic reported Wednesday.
The three-time All-Star is expected to be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season, per the report.
Injuries limited the 32-year-old veteran to 55 games last season after he appeared in only 33 contests in 2022-23.
Middleton averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 2023-24.
Through 12 seasons, Middleton has career averages of 16.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals in 739 games (650 starts) with the Detroit Pistons (2012-13) and Bucks.
Detroit drafted Middleton in the second round (39th overall) in 2012. Traded to Milwaukee in July 2013, he helped the Bucks win the NBA championship in 2020-21.
WNBA NEWS
CAITLIN CLARK SETS WNBA SINGLE-GAME ASSISTS RECORD
Rookie guard Caitlin Clark dished out a WNBA-record 19 assists for the Indiana Fever in their 101-93 loss to the Dallas Wings on Wednesday in Arlington, Texas.
Clark surpassed Courtney Vandersloot’s previous single-game assist record of 18. Vandersloot, who currently plays for the New York Liberty, set the mark on Aug. 31, 2020, as a member of the Chicago Sky.
Clark’s record-breaking assist provided the Fever’s final points on Wednesday. With Indiana trailing 93-90, Clark drove the lane before she stopped and found Kelsey Mitchell on the left wing for a game-tying 3-pointer with 2:22 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Dallas (6-19) scored the game’s final eight points to snap a three-game skid.
Aside from her record assist total, Clark supplied 24 points and six rebounds. She also had six turnovers as the Fever (11-15) saw their two-game winning streak come to an end.
Clark, 22, is averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game in her first WNBA season after being selected first overall out of Iowa in April’s draft.
Clark’s career high in assists in college came on Jan. 25, 2022, when she had 18 in the Hawkeyes’ 107-79 win against Penn State.
KAYLA MCBRIDE, LYNX HAND DREAM EIGHTH STRAIGHT LOSS
Kayla McBride scored 30 points to lead the host Minnesota Lynx over the Atlanta Dream 86-79 on Wednesday afternoon in Minneapolis in their final game before the WNBA’s All-Star and Olympic break.
Natisha Hiedeman was key for Minnesota (17-8), scoring a season-high 18 points, all off the bench. Alanna Smith contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Courtney Williams added eight points and nine assists.
Atlanta (7-17) received a boost from Rhyne Howard, who returned from an ankle sprain to score 15 points in the loss. Cheyenne Parker-Tyus led the Dream with 16 points, shooting 5-for-5 from the floor and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. Tina Charles added 12 points and All-Star Allisha Gray scored seven points, below her team-leading 15.9 points per game average entering Wednesday.
It looked like the Dream might put their seven-game losing streak behind them with a four-point lead heading into the final quarter, but they couldn’t handle the Lynx. Specifically, the play of Hiedeman, who took over in the final 10 minutes.
Hiedeman scored 16 points and added an assist in the fourth, accounting for more points than the Dream until late in the quarter.
Her scoring run started with two 3-point shots and a mid-range jumper to help the Lynx tie the game with 6:38 remaining. After the Atlanta lead disappeared, the Minnesota advantage began. The Lynx outscored Atlanta 30-19 in the fourth — the most points in a quarter this season for the Lynx – in the victory.
Minnesota and Atlanta went back-and-forth for four quarters, with 13 lead changes and 15 ties. Neither team had more than a two-possession advantage until the final quarter.
The win comes despite Atlanta outshooting the Lynx 49.2 percent to 37.8 percent and outscoring Minnesota 52-20 off the bench. Atlanta’s turnovers kept Minnesota in the game, as the Dream gave away more (16-7), resulting in 15 points off turnovers for the Lynx.
Minnesota beat Atlanta for the third time this season. The two teams play their final regular-season game on Sept. 10 in Atlanta.
REPORT: WNBA AGREES TO $2.2B FOR MEDIA RIGHTS IN 11-YEAR DEAL
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert actually set her sights too low in April when she said she wanted the league to double its current national media rights fees.
The current national media contracts, though the 2025 season, average about $50 million annually. The WNBA’s new deal with ESPN, Amazon and NBC, approved Tuesday, will pay the league about $2.2 billion over the next 11 years for an average of $200 million a year — and it could be even more lucrative, The Athletic reported.
Call it part of the Caitlin Clark Effect. Engelbert made her comment in anticipation of a huge growth in popularity for the WNBA on the eve of the league draft, when the Indiana Fever made the college phenom out of Iowa the No. 1 pick.
The WNBA partnered with the NBA, which negotiated the contracts as part of its own rights talks resulting in an agreement with Disney, NBC and Amazon on approximately $75 billion over 11 years. The NBA’s board of governors approved the new terms, which are still pending.
The WNBA’s current media partners are Disney, Ion, CBS and Amazon. The Athletic reported that in addition to the next deal, the WNBA could negotiate with new partners on two other separate rights packages to total another $60 million annually.
That new total could pay the WNBA more than six times its current fees. The league and its media partners also have agreed to revisit the rights contracts in three years to measure the value against the league’s growth, The Athletic reported.
SUN LAND G MARINA MABREY IN TRADE WITH SKY
The Connecticut Sun acquired veteran guard Marina Mabrey and a 2025 second-round draft pick on Wednesday in a trade with the Chicago Sky.
The Sky will receive guards Rachel Banham and Moriah Jefferson and a first-round draft pick in 2025. Chicago also has the right to swap first-round draft picks with Connecticut in 2026.
Mabrey, 27, has averaged 14.0 points with career highs of 4.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 24 games, all starts, this season. In six WNBA seasons, she has averaged 11.9 points with 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 179 games (115 starts) for the Los Angeles Sparks (2019), Dallas Wings (2020-22) and Sky.
Banham, 31, has averaged 4.8 points with 1.2 rebounds in 21 games off the bench this season. In nine seasons, she has averaged 5.2 points and 1.1 rebounds in 243 games (12 starts) for the Sun (2016-19, 2024) and Minnesota Lynx (2020-23).
Jefferson, 30, has averaged 2.1 points in nine games off the bench this season. In eight WNBA seasons, the runner-up for the 2016 Rookie of the Year Award has averaged 9.1 points with 2.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 188 games (143 starts) for the San Antonio Stars (2016-17), Las Vegas Aces (2018), Wings (2020-22), Lynx (2022), Phoenix Mercury (2023) and Sun.
GOLF NEWS
GOLF GLANCE: ROYAL TROON HOSTS 2024’S FINAL MAJOR
Field Level Media’s Golf Glance provides weekly news and storylines from each of the major North American golf tours.
PGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: Scottish Open (Robert MacIntyre)
THIS WEEK: The Open Championship, Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland, July 18-21
Course: Royal Troon (Par 71, 7,385 Yards)
Purse: $17M (Winner: $3.1M)
Defending Champion: Brian Harman
FedEx Cup Leader: Scottie Scheffler
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 1:30-4 a.m. ET (Peacock), 4 a.m.-3 p.m. (USA), 3-4:15 p.m. (Peacock); Saturday: 5-7 a.m. (USA), 7 a.m.-3 p.m. (NBC); Sunday: 4-7 a.m. (USA), 7 a.m.-2 p.m. (NBC)
Streaming: The R&A controls all digital streaming and broadcast rights.
X: @TheOpen
NOTES: The field includes 49 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, the top 30 in the FedExCup standings and 19 past Open champions. … Royal Troon is hosting The Open for the 10th time, with Henrik Stenson winning the most recent in 2016, when he famously outlasted Phil Mickelson. … Scheffler is already just the fourth player with at least six wins in the same season since 1983 and the first since Tiger Woods in 2009. Woods in 2007 is the last player to win at least seven times in a single season. … Woods will make his fifth start of the season, with his only made cut coming at the Masters (60th). He finished T24 in the 1997 Open Championship played at Troon and T9 in 2004. … Justin Rose went through Final Qualifying to earn a spot in this week’s field. At No. 75 in the FedEx Cup standings he has only three weeks remaining to get inside the Top 70 that will qualify for the first leg of the playoffs. … Xander Schauffele has the longest active streak with 51 consecutive cuts made on the PGA Tour. Scheffler is second with 40. Hideki Matsuyama owns the longest consecutive cuts made in majors streak at 17. Adam Scott leads all active players as he will play in his 93rd consecutive major.
BEST BETS: Scheffler (+500 at DraftKings) had his best finish at The Open three years ago with a T8, but this has also been a year of shattering previous standards for the world’s No. 1-ranked player. In addition to his wins at the Masters and Players, Scheffler has claimed four signature event victories. He leads the field at the book with 16 percent of the total bets backing him to claim his first Open title this week. … Rory McIlroy (+850) returned from his post-U.S. Open meltdown break to post a T4 at the Scottish Open. McIlroy has a final opportunity to break his decade-long major drought this year. He is second to Scheffler with 9 percent of the total bets backing him, but McIlroy does lead the field with 18 percent of the money. … Schauffele (+1200) wasn’t able to successfully defend his title at the Scottish Open, but he did produce his 10th consecutive top-20 finish. That includes a win at the PGA Championship, a T2 at the Masters and a T7 at the U.S. Open. … Ludvig Aberg (+2000) showed his inexperience in blowing the 54-hole lead with a 73 on Sunday at the Scottish Open. He does have a solo second at the Masters and a T12 at the U.S. Open on his 2024 resume already. Aberg is third with 8 percent of the money backing him to win his first major at Royal Troon. … Collin Morikawa (+1400) hasn’t found the winner’s circle since last fall, but the 2021 Open champion continues to knock on the door. That includes a T4 last week — his sixth top-10 in his past nine starts, a streak that includes no finishes lower than T16. … Bryson DeChambeau’s (+2000) major record this year includes a T6 at the Masters, second at the PGA and his win at the U.S. Open. A ninth-place finish at Andalucia on Sunday was underwhelming against LIV’s smaller fields, and his best Open finish was a T8 two years ago.
THIS WEEK: Barracuda Championship, Truckee, Calif., July 18-21
Course: Tahoe Mountain Club, Old Greenwood (Par 71, 7,480 Yards)
Purse: $4M (Winner: $720,000)
Defending Champion: Akshay Bhatia
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Sunday, 5-8 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)
X: @CudaChamp
NOTES: There are only three weeks and four events remaining before the start of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, where only the top 70 players will qualify for the first event. There are 26 players in this week’s field with an opportunity to move into the Top 70 with a win. … This is the only PGA Tour event to use the Modified Stableford scoring system. Players earn eight points for a double eagle, five for an eagle and two for a birdie. No points are earned for a par, while a bogey is minus one point and a double bogey or worse is minus three points. … Bhatia will not defend his title as he competes in The Open Championship. The field does include 50 players from the DP World Tour courtesy of the strategic alliance between the tours. … The winner will earn a PGA Tour exemption through 2026 if a current member of the tour, or through 2025 if a current member of the DP World Tour. … Erik Van Rooyen holds the tournament scoring record of plus-50 set in 2021.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: 3M Open, Blaine, Minn., July 25-28
LPGA Tour
LAST TOURNAMENT: Evian Championship (Akaya Furue)
THIS WEEK: Dana Open, Sylvania, Ohio, July 18-21
Course: Highland Meadows Golf Club (Par 71, 6,666 yards)
Purse: $1.75M (Winner: $162,500)
Defending Champions: Linn Grant
Race to the CME Globe leader: Nelly Korda
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday, 12-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel/Peacock); Saturday, 2-5 p.m. (Peacock), 8-10 p.m. (GC — Tape Delay); Sunday, 1-2 p.m. (GC), 2-4 p.m. (CBS)
X: @danaopenlpga
NOTES: This is the 39th playing and 40th anniversary of the event, which Highland Meadows has hosted since 1988. … Friday will be “Lexi Thompson Day” and will feature fans, players and tournament staff wearing pink, the favorite color for Thompson, who announced this will be her final year playing a full LPGA Tour schedule. … Linnea Strom is the only one of 12 winners on tour this year (ShopRite LPGA Classic) in this week’s field, which does include 20 of the 26 rookies in 2024. … Se Ri Pak holds the tournament scoring record of 261 set in 1998.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: CPKC Women’s Open, Calgary, July 25-28
PGA Tour Champions
LAST TOURNAMENT: Kaulig Companies Championship (Ernie Els)
THIS WEEK: OFF.
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Els
NEXT TOURNAMENT: The Senior Open Championship, Carnoustie, Scotland, July 25-28
LIV Golf League
LAST TOURNAMENT: Andalucia, Spain (Individual: Sergio Garcia; Team: Fireballs GC)
THIS WEEK: OFF.
2024 Leaders: Players, Joaquin Niemann; Team, Crushers GC
NEXT TOURNAMENT: LIV Golf United Kingdom, England, July 26-28
TOMMY FLEETWOOD AIMS TO TURN PAGE AT OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Tommy Fleetwood has come close to the winner’s circle at majors throughout his career only to routinely fall short.
The 33-year-old Englishman is intent on changing that narrative this week at the Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland.
“I try not to dwell on it too much. I get frustrated like anybody else. I get down on myself like anybody else,” Fleetwood said on Wednesday, one day before the start of the tournament.
“I don’t win anywhere near as much as I would like, and I’m probably not sort of in a position in the game where I want to be, even though I’m doing perfectly well. It’s not where I believe I can be, and the results don’t always show that.”
Fleetwood, who is winless on the PGA Tour, enters this week No. 25 in the FedEx Cup standings. He made his first tour appearance in 2013 and has seven wins on the European Tour.
Fleetwood made a sterling challenge at the Open in 2019 before finishing in second place at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland.
He then made a spirited run at the landmark 150th Open at St. Andrews 2022 before ending up tied for fourth place with Viktor Hovland. He followed that up with a T10 last year at the Open.
“Like I said, I try not to dwell on it,” Fleetwood said. “I try to focus on positives and what I need to do to actually get to where I want to be or contend in tournaments and win tournaments. I try to focus on that every day, but yeah, to be sure, the game’s annoying. Even when you play well, you come off frustrated because you might have missed a putt or you might have finished a shot or two behind where you thought you could.
“You always start a new week fresh, and I try to focus on that as much as possible really.”
He also finished second at the U.S. Open in 2018, tied for fifth at the PGA Championship in 2022 and tied for third at the Masters this year.
Despite the lack of results, Fleetwood said he is still motivated to compete on the golf course.
“I still love golf. I think golf is my absolute favorite thing to do, and I still — I don’t believe that I’ve reached my potential at all in what I can do,” he said. “I think I’m still very driven by that. I still wake up every day and want to be the best player I can be, and I still want to find things that will make me better and what I can improve on. There’s still so many tournaments that I enjoy playing, tournaments that I want to win.
“Yeah, until — I’m sure one day I might wake up and might not have the same enthusiasm for it, but it’s never left me yet, and it continues. I’ll wake up tomorrow excited to play The Open. Whether I play good or bad, I might be disappointed, but I’ll probably want to go and practice afterwards and see if I can get better.
“Yeah, like I say, it’s still my favorite thing to do. I love the game.”
ROBERT MACINTYRE CHASING RARE SCOTTISH DOUBLE AT THE OPEN
Scottish Open champion Robert MacIntyre looks to complete a rare feat in his homeland by winning this week’s Open Championship at Royal Troon.
The last player to win the Scottish Open and an Open Championship in Scotland in the same year was Phil Mickelson in 2013.
MacIntyre also is seeking to become just the third Scottish player to lift the Claret Jug in the past 100 years, joining Paul Lawrie (1999) and Tommy Armour (1931).
MacIntyre arrived at Troon with momentum following an eagle-par-birdie finish to win by one shot on Sunday at The Renaissance Club.
He also arrived with a well-earned hangover after going “absolutely wild” following his Scottish Open triumph. Asked Wednesday to rate his celebration on a scale of 1 to 10, he gave it a 10.
“Look, I’m not a big drinker, but when you get moments like that that’s a childhood dream and a lifetime goal and you’ve got family and friends there that have backed you since you were a young kid, I think it was quite right to go absolutely wild,” MacIntyre said. “I think we done a good job of that.”
It was the second win of the season for MacIntyre following the Canadian Open in early June.
The 27-year-old still is seeking his first major win, with his best finish to date a tie for sixth at the Open Championship in 2019 at Royal Portrush.
After becoming the first Scot to win the Scottish Open in 25 years (Colin Montgomerie), he looks to become the first Scot to win the Open in 25 years (Lawrie).
“It’s possible,” MacIntyre said. “Tomorrow we’ll start off from level par. I’ve got as much chance as everyone else in the field. Same Thursday last week, I had the same chance as everyone else.
“It’s just about getting in that position on Sunday and seeing where the cards fall. Obviously last week they fell my way. My job is to go out there, fight as hard as I can, try my best, and hopefully get in a position where I can just have a chance.
“That’s all I can ask myself, and that’s the only bit of kind of anything that I want is just have a chance. If I do my job well enough and I hit the shots I see, execute them as well as I can, accept where they end up, then there’s a chance.”
TOP INDIANA SPORTS RELEASES
INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL
INDIANA SRN FOOTBALL WATCH LIST: WR’S/TE’S
WR Eugene Hilton Zionsville 6’1 190: 46 rec, 836 yards, 10TD…(Committed to Wisconsin)
WR Gabe Aramboles Westfield 6’0” 195: 41rec, 583 yards, 6TD (missed 3 games-injury)
WR Tristan Baxter Center Grove 6’0” 165: 22rec, 338 yards 2TD
WR Jorian Brooks Bloomington North 31 rec, 724 yards, 6TD
WR Avery Mitchell Ben Davis 5’7” 155: 468 all-purpose yards…(Transfer from Speedway)
WR Brevin Holubar Center Grove 6’2” 180: 39 rec, 744 yards, 6TD
WR Byron Hon Perry Meridian 5’9” 150: 40 rec, 691 yards, 6TD
WR JonAnthony Hall Fishers 6’2 180: 69 rec, 1,055 yards, 6TD….(committed to Stanford)
WR Isaac Kaiser Floyd Central 6’4 190: 41 rec, 912 yards, 13TD
WR Ja’Mir Bouie Avon 6’2” 170: 40rec, 415 yards, 5TD (Plainfield)
WR Brody Isza Washington 6’1″ 185: 34rec, 502 yards, 7TD, 10 overall TD’s
WR Shawn Curry Avon 5’11” 150: 26 rec, 477 yards, 5TD
WR TJ Stewart Avon: 25 rec, 357 yards
WR Chazz Corley Warren Central 6’2” 175: 23rec, 405 yards, TD
WR AJ Johnson Cathedral 6’5” 185: 20 rec, 372 yards, 7TD
WR Devaughn Slaughter Cathedral 6’0” 175: 53 rec, 373 yards, 7TD
WR Damir Swanigan Franklin Central 6’3” 180: 19 rec, 211 yards, 2TD
WR Jaylan Johnson Seymour 6’4 185: 58 rec, 1,003 yards, 9TD
WR Tyler Champion Hamilton Heights 5’10” 165: 41rec, 645 yards, 7TD
WR Benny Speaker West Lafayette 5’9 147: 88 rec, 968 yards, 10TD
WR Kaden Bruhn Mooresville 5’11” 160: 41rec, 548 yards, 3TD
WR Beau Braun Westfield 6’2” 190: 26 rec, 387 yards, TD
WR Parker Knott Westfield 6’2” 187: 27 rec, 324 yards, TD
WR Tyler Ruxer Heritage Hills 6’4 175: 27 rec, 545 yards, 9TD
WR Nilyn Compton Southport 6’4” 160: 16 rec, 221 yards, 2TD (played only 7 games-injury)
WR Davion Chandler Lawrence North 6’0” 170: 40 rec, 779 yards, 13TD….(Committed to Indiana)
WR Damario Moore Lawrence North 5’8” 162: 18 rec, 312 yards, TD
WR Tyrus Graverson Bremen 5’9 185: 71 rec, 1,323 yards, 10TD
WR Jaylen White Bishop Luers 6’2 170: 40 rec, 586 yards, 8TD
WR DeVuan Jones Indianapolis Lutheran 5’9 165: 28 rec, 611 yards, 9TD
WR LJ Ward Indianapolis Lutheran 5’10” 150: 17 rec, 311 yards, 6TD (injured, played just 5 games)
WR/DB Mark Zachery Ben Davis 6’0” 160: 53 rec, 823 yds, 8TD….(Committed to Notre Dame)
WR Justus Ullom Monroe Central 5’11 175: 18 rec, 236 yards, 4TD
WR Gabe Aramboles Westfield 6’0 200: 41rec, 583yds, 6TD
WR Aiden Brewer Noblesville 6’4 215: 22rec, 399yds, 2TD
WR LeBron Hill Hammond Morton 6’5″ 180: 34rec, 564 yards, 8TD….(Committed to Purdue)
WR Hunter Stroud Martinsville 5’11 170: 66rec, 950 yds, 6TD
WR Stratton Fuller Columbia City 5’11 175: 45 rec, 707 yds, 9TD…(Committed to Army)
WR Fuddy Kile Maconaquah 6’2 165: 74 rec, 1,291 yds, 15TD
WR EJ Miller Eastside 5’11 170: 14 rec, 195 yds
WR Rylie Hudson Lapel 5’10” 190: 55 rec, 666 yards, 10TD
WR Jackson Cain Lafayette Central Catholic 5’9 193: 48 rec, 470 yds, 6 TD, 274 rushing yards, 4TD
ATH Luke Ellspermann Evansville Memorial 5’11 165: 52rec, 670 yds, 7TD, 367 rushing yards, 4TD, 388 passing yards, 8TD
WR Braylen Word Eastern 6’0” 175: 57rec, 1,131 yds, 13TD
WR Isaiah Kish Calumet Christian 5’10” 155: 63rec, 1,069 yds, 16TD
WR Ray Clayton Lafayette Central Catholic 6’5” 180: 80rec, 1,024 yds, 7TD
WR Taylor Clark Brebeuf 6’1” 157: 55rec, 996 yards, 17TD
WR Tizhaun Tomlinson Evansville Bosse: 66rec, 928 yards, 7TD
WR Avery Cook Ft. Wayne Concordia 6’2” 183: 70rec, 871 yards, 8TD
WR Bransyn Ensor South Putnam 5’9” 150: 26 rec, 788 yards, 30.3ypc
TE Andrew Barker Kokomo 6’4” 230: 23rec, 324 yards, 4TD….(Committed to Indiana)
TE Dominick Barry Center Grove 6’4” 225: 8 rec, 120 yards, TD (played only 5 games-injured)
TE Chris Herrin Terre Haute South 6’5 220: 61 rec, 839 yards, 8TD
TE Zach Litchfield Heritage 6’6” 200: 23rec, 405 yards, 8TD, 17.6ypc
TE Nizyi Davis Lawrence Central 6’5 215: 29 rec, 410 yards, TD…Committed to Wisconsin)
TE Brock Schott Leo 6’3 220: 35 rec, 743 yards, 6TD….(Committed to Miami, FL)
TE Andrew Monday Mississinawa 6’1 190: 33 rec, 635 yards, 9TD, 886 rushing yards, 6TD
TE Jace Scrafton Danville 6’6 210: 31 rec, 385 yards, 6TD
TE Kayden Ruble Eastern Hancock 6’4 230: 37 rec, 444 yards, 4TD
TE Xander Jones North Decatur 6’2 200: 13 rec, 114 yards, 2TD
TE Jaylan Johnson Seymour 6’2” 190: 58rec, 1,003 yards, 9TD
TE/LB Trevor Gibbs Crown Point 6’3” 230…(Offers from Ball State, Miami, OH, Western Michigan, Indiana and Purdue)
INDIANA FOOTBALL DIGEST PRE-SEASON TOP 12
6A
- BEN DAVIS
- CROWN POINT
- WESTFIELD
- WARREN CENTRAL
- CENTER GROVE
- HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN
- CATHEDRAL
- FORT WAYNE CAROL
- CARMEL
- BROWNSBURG
- FORT WAYNE SNIDER
- FISHERS
5A
- DECATUR CENTRAL
- MERRILLVILLE
- WHITELAND
- VALPARAISO
- CASTLE
- CONCORD
- BLOOMINGTON NORTH
- EAST CENTRAL
- WARSAW
- BLOOMINGTON SOUTH
- KOKOMO
- LAFAYETTE JEFF
4A
- NEW PALESTINE
- BISHOP CHATARD
- BREBEUF
- GREENFIELD CENTRAL
- MOUNT VERNON
- EVANSVILLE REITZ
- HANOVER CENTRAL
- NEW PRAIRIE
- COLUMBIA CITY
- KANKAKEE VALLEY
- NORTHWOOD
- LEO
3A
- HERITAGE HILLS
- KNOX
- LAWRENCEBURG
- EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL
- GUERIN CATHOLIC
- WEST LAFAYETTE
- GIBSON SOUTHERN
- BATESVILLE
- FORT WAYNE LUERS
- DELTA
- MISSISSINEWA
- TRI-WEST
2A
- INDIANAPOLIS LUTHERAN
- LAFAYETTE CENTRAL CATHOLIC
- NORTH POSEY
- LINTON STOCKTON
- EASTERN HANCOCK
- PAOLI
- BROWNSTOWN CENTRAL
- CENTERVILLE
- ANDREAN
- SOUTHMONT
- TRITON CENTRAL
- EASTERN GREENTOWN
1A
- SOUTH PUTNAM
- NORTH DECATUR
- NORTH JUDSON
- SHERIDAN
- MONROE CENTRAL
- TRITON
- SPRINGS VALLEY
- PROVIDENCE
- LAVILLE
- SOUTH ADAMS
- CARROLL FLORA
- PIONEER
INDIANA FEVER
GAME RECAP: CLARK AND BOSTON HAVE RECORD-SETTING NIGHTS IN LOSS AT WINGS
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – Indiana Fever rookie guard Caitlin Clark set a WNBA record for the most assists recorded in a game with 19 assists in a 101-93 loss to the Dallas Wings at College Park Center on Wednesday. Clark also set a Fever franchise record for the most assists recorded by a player in a regular season passing Erica Wheeler’s mark of 201 set last season.
For the third consecutive game, Fever center Aliyah Boston, Clark, forward NaLyssa Smith and guard Kelsey Mitchell all scored in double figures. Boston led Indiana as she posted a career-high 28 points on 11-of-14 field goal shooting and 5-of-7 from the free throw line. Boston also tallied eight rebounds, four blocks and three assists, passing Natalie Achonwa for eighth place on the Fever all-time blocks list with 90 blocked shots. On top of Clark’s 19 assists, she added 24 points and six rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season.
Smith recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Mitchell tallied 13 points as well with two rebounds. Mitchell’s one made 3-point field goal put her past Leilani Mitchell for 18th place on the WNBA all-time made 3-point field goals list with 509. Fever guard Lexie Hull and forward Damiris Dantas came off the bench to add six points each.
Late in the third quarter, Indiana went on a 19-8 run to secure a 70-69 lead and ultimately outscored the Wings, 24-18, in the third quarter. The Fever also outscored the Wings in paint points, 62-50, and outrebounded Dallas, 35-29.
Six Wings players scored in double figures on Wednesday evening, as guards Arike Ogunbowale and Odyssey Sims both tallied 24 points. Ogunbowale pulled down seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals in the win, while Sims tallied nine assists and three rebounds. Forward Natasha Howard followed with 17 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and four steals, and reserve center Kalani Brown contributed 13 points and three rebounds off the bench.
The Wings reached 29 points in the fourth quarter and went on an 8-0 run to end the contest. Dallas handed out a season-high 28 assists and outscored Indiana in bench points, 15-12, and fastbreak points, 22-14.
UP NEXT
Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell will participate in the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET from Footprint Center in Phoenix. This year’s All-Star Game will be broadcast on ABC.
INDIANA FOOTBALL
BOMBA SELECTED AS AFCA GOOD WORKS TEAM NOMINEE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The American Football Coaches Association announced on Wednesday (July 17) that Indiana football redshirt-junior James Bomba has been nominated for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
Established in 1992, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team recognizes college football athletes for their unwavering commitment to community service and their “good works” off the field. This year’s 178 nominees champion causes including mental health awareness, youth mentorship, hunger relief, domestic abuse prevention, and many more. In addition to being actively involved with a charitable organization or service group, each player must also maintain strong academic standing to be considered for a spot on the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
Of his many volunteer opportunities, Bomba has spent his time on a volunteer mission trip to the Dominican Republic with Indiana football and Score International. He is also active with Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington, Hoosier Ticket Project and the program’s Holiday Toy Drive. He has also served as a volunteer coach for football and men’s basketball at Bloomington South High School.
He has also teamed up with GO Bloomington to help the organization promote better mobility options and Stop the Violence Indianapolis, Inc., which acts as a catalyst for social change – empowering people to take action with the greater Indianapolis area to ensure safety, justice, accountability and healing for people whose lives are affected by violence and poverty.
On the field, Bomba redshirted his first season on campus and appeared in 20 games with 10 starts over the last two campaigns. The tight end owns 11 receptions for 75 yards (6.8 ypr) and one touchdown. His first collegiate touchdown came on a 3-yard catch in the third quarter against Michigan State to knot the score at 14-14.
A third-generation Indiana football letterman, Bomba follows in the footsteps of his father, Matt Bomba, a walk-on that earned a scholarship between 1990-92, and both grandfathers, Brad Bomba (1954-56) and Bob VanPelt (1964-66) who were scholarship football student-athletes at IU.
PURDUE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PURDUE TO HOST NOTRE DAME ON NOV. 10
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue women’s basketball will welcome Notre Dame to Mackey Arena on Nov. 10 for the first meeting between the two programs in West Lafayette since 2011, head coach Katie Gearlds announced today.
The matchup is the return leg of a home-and-home series that restarted last year after a decade hiatus in the regular season.
Start time and television assignments will be announced later.
The Nov. 10 contest with the Fighting Irish marks the fourth non-conference game announced by the Boilermakers. Purdue will face Middle Tennessee (Nov. 28) and South Carolina (Nov. 30) in the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off over Thanksgiving. The Boilermakers will host Kentucky on Dec. 14 at Mackey Arena.
Purdue enters the fourth year under head coach Katie Gearlds. The Boilermakers have reached the postseason in each of her first three seasons back home at her alma mater. The roster featuring seven returners and seven newcomers will get an early preseason test with a 10-day tour of Portugal and Spain in August.
Season tickets are on sale for the 2024-25 campaign. For more information, click here.
The 2023-24 Purdue women’s basketball season is presented by Purdue Global, Purdue University’s online educational solution for working adults.
NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL
FREEMAN, KISER NAMED NOMINEES FOR ALLSTATE AFCA GOOD WORKS TEAM
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman and graduate student linebacker Jack Kiser have been nominated for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which recognizes college football athletes and an honorary coach each season for their unwavering commitment to community service and their “good works” off the field.
In addition to being actively involved with a charitable organization or service group, each player must also maintain strong academic standing to be considered for a spot on the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
The final roster, announced in September, will be comprised of 11 FBS players; eleven players from FCS Division II, Division III and NAIA; and one honorary head coach.
Freeman is an avid, consistent supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Michiana, an organization which helps patients and their families during extended hospital stays. Each Friday before home games during the season, Freeman visits the patients and their families, bringing along student-athletes who would like to join him. The group delivers lunches and brings Notre Dame gifts and games to the patients. However, the most important part of the visit is the time spent with each patient, getting to know them and playing games.
Freeman has also taken part in numerous charitable engagements, including visiting local schools such as St. Adalbert Catholic School in South Bend, where he surprised students with tickets to the spring football game, and speaking at philanthropic events, such as Erin’s House for Grieving Children, which supports families who have experienced a death.
Kiser has participated in several community-facing initiatives during his time at Notre Dame. In the offseason, he has organized teammates to visit local charities. He served as the Fighting Irish Fight for Life football team lead for the past three years, from Fall 2020-Spring 2023, a program which pairs a local pediatric patient with Notre Dame Athletics teams to become a true teammate. Additionally, Kiser worked with local low-income families to perform tax returns this past spring on a weekly basis leading up to Tax Day.
Kiser has also been involved in the Notre Dame chapter of Uplifting Athletes, supporting the local rare disease community and their families, and would also regularly visit patients and families at the Ronald McDonald House with Freeman. He earned selection to the 2024 National Football Foundation Honor Society, and in 2023 was awarded the Dean’s Graduate Business Award and the Tom Frecka Academic Achievement Award, recognizing the top GPA in the Master’s of Science in Accountancy program at Notre Dame.
BUTLER BASKETBALL
BULLDOGS DRAW NORTHWESTERN TO OPEN ARIZONA TIP-OFF
Cactus Division quartet includes Butler, Northwestern, Mississippi State and UNLV competing for early season bragging rights at Mullett Arena in Tempe on Nov. 28-29
TEMPE, Ariz. (July 17, 2024) – Matchups for the 2024 Arizona Tip-Off have been officially revealed, setting the stage for two days of resume-building games that will air live on CBS Sports Network. The second-annual event, hosted in partnership between Intersport and the Arizona Sports & Entertainment Commission, will take place Nov. 28-29 at Mullett Arena in Tempe, Ariz.
In the semifinal games of the Tournament, Butler will take on Northwestern at 5 p.m. MST and will be followed by Mississippi State taking on UNLV at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 28. The teams return to the court for the third-place and championship games, also at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., respectively, on Nov. 29.
| Date | Matchup | Time (MST) | TV |
| Thursday, Nov. 28 | Butler vs. Northwestern | 5 p.m. | CBS Sports Network |
| Thursday, Nov. 28 | UNLV vs. Mississippi State | 7:30 p.m. | CBS Sports Network |
| Friday, Nov. 29 | Third-Place Game | 5 p.m. | CBS Sports Network |
| Friday, Nov. 29 | Championship Game | 7:30 p.m. | CBS Sports Network |
Travel packages for fans looking to join their favorite team in the Valley of the Sun over Thanksgiving Weekend are now available at www.arizonatipoff.com/travel. Packages include tickets to each Cactus Division game of the Tournament and hotel accommodations at one of the Tip-Off’s host resorts – the Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas and Gila River Resorts & Casino – Wild Horse Pass. Fans can also register to receive regular event updates and additional tournament and ticket news by visiting www.arizonatipoff.com/tickets. The only way to guarantee tickets to the event is by purchasing an official fan travel package. Ticket packages, based on availability, will be available in the fall.
All four programs took part in postseason play last year, with Mississippi State and Northwestern earning NCAA berths and Butler and UNLV appearing in the NIT. The Wildcats posted 22 wins a year ago, Mississippi State and UNLV finished with 21 and Butler recorded 18. Mississippi State and Northwestern are competing in the same early season tournament for the second year in a row, with the Bulldogs defeating the Wildcats in the 2023 Hall of Fame Classic championship game.
To receive the latest email alerts regarding tournament news, ticket information and more, visit our website at www.arizonatipoff.com and follow Intersport Basketball on Twitter (X) and Instagram at @IntersportHoops.
Arizona Tip-Off Cactus Division Semifinal Matchups History
Butler vs. Northwestern
Series History: Northwestern leads, 16-11
Last Meeting: Nov. 16, 2016 (Butler 70, Northwestern 68)
Series Notes: Butler has won the last six meetings between the programs… this will be the second neutral site meeting between the programs.
Mississippi State vs. UNLV
Series History: UNLV leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: Dec. 23, 2013 (UNLV 82, Mississippi State 66)
Series Note: The two teams last met in the Las Vegas Classic championship game in 2013, won by the Runnin’ Rebels.
BUTLER MEN’S SOCCER
SIX ADDITIONS ROUND OUT BUTLER MEN’S SOCCER 2024 ROSTER
Head Coach Paul Snape and his staff have announced six newcomers who are part of the incoming group joining the men’s soccer program prior to the upcoming fall season. The group includes three freshmen and three transfers, and they join four other newcomers who were announced this past January.
January newcomer release (Gomez, Pitts-Eckersall, Angel Luna, Lindsey)
Bulldogs 2024 full roster
Incoming Bulldogs
Philip Biondich, Toronto, Canada (Scrosoppi FC/Toronto FC Academy)
Brendan Cunningham, St. Louis, Missouri (St. Louis Scott Gallagher)
Manolo Ferreres, Deltebre, Catalonia, Spain (IES Miralcamp/US Rapitenca)
Hadar Lavinsky, Porto Alegre, Brazil (Yeshiva University)
Michael Oelberger, Los Angeles, California (Occidental/Eture FC Vinaros)
Kai Pope, St. Louis, Missouri (St. Louis City FC)
_____
Philip Biondich
Toronto, Canada/Holy Trinity Catholic (Scrosoppi FC), 5′-7″/150lbs, D
Biondich, who currently plays for Scrosoppi FC (League 1 Ontario), is a product of Toronto FC Academy where he helped his teams place No. 1 in the east/northeast divisions of MLSNext. He has been nationally ranked by First Touch Football in Canada as high as No. 5 in the fullback position, and 45th overall, and he was invited to the FTF Top 60 showcase. He was on the U17 Croatian National Teams Selection list and was invited to train with Hajduk Split, Dinamo Zagreb and Elche CF. Biondich was an honor roll student at Holy Trinity Catholic.
On choosing Butler: “I chose Butler because of its top-tier soccer program and excellent business school.”
Biondich is the son of Paul and Renata Biondich and has two siblings, Robert and Victoria. He plans to major in Finance.
_____
Brendan Cunningham
St. Louis, Missouri/St. Louis University (St. Louis Scott Gallagher), 6′-0″/170lbs, F
Cunningham tallied 48 goals over two-and-a-half MLSNext seasons, including 20 goals in 20 games in 2023-24. He was a team captain for St. Louis Scott Gallagher who led his team in goals his final two seasons. His side Qualified for MLSNext Flex over three seasons, won the Mid-America Conference, qualified for the MLSNext Cup, and was ranked No. 1 in the nation in 2020-2021.
At St. Louis University, he was a National Honor Society member, and he is a Lacy Business Scholar at Butler.
On choosing Butler: “I chose Butler because of its strong academic reputation and quality soccer program in a nationally competitive conference.”
Cunningham is the son of Jim and Allison Cunningham and has one sibling, Grace. He plans to major in Business.
_____
Manolo Ferreres
Deltebre, Catalonia, Spain/IES Miralcamp (UE Rapitenca), 6′-2″/180lbs, D
Ferreres currently plays center-back for UE Rapitenca and has previously played for CD Mirandés B, Villarreal U19, and Roda U19.
On choosing Butler: “I choose Butler because I like its ambition and its focus on winning a championship. I like the team that I’m going to play with and the style that Coach Snape wants to play in the Big East. Apart from that, Butler University is the best option to improve my professional and personal careers. It is one of the most prestigious universities in the U.S., and it will be the best decision for my future.”
Ferreres is the son of Manolo Ferreres Gimeno & Ana Juan Albiol and has one sibling, Ana. He plans to major in Economics.
_____
Hadar Lavinsky
Porto Alegre, Brazil/Pan American (Yeshiva University), 5′-8″/171lbs, F
Levinsky played his freshman season at Yeshiva in New York City. At Pan American School in Brazil, he led his team in goals in 11th and 12th grades and was team MVP his final season.
On choosing Butler: “I chose Butler University for its strong academic programs that align with my goals and the high level of soccer, which is crucial for pursuing my dream.”
Lavinsky is the son of Fabio and Limor Lavinsky and has two siblings, Barel and Lia. He plans to major in Business.
_____
Michael Oelberger
Los Angeles, California/Cathedral (Occidental/Eture FC Vinaros), 5′-11″/170lbs, M
Oelberger most recently competed with Eture FC Vinaros in Spain, where he served as team captain. Prior to that, he was on the 2022-23 men’s soccer roster at Occidental College, making seven appearances. In high school competition, he played soccer his senior season at Cathedral High School in Los Angeles, California. His team, which attained a No. 1 national ranking, went 20-1 and reached the state semi-finals. The multi-sport athlete also participated in baseball and basketball and was in the top-10 of his class, academically. Oelberger also was a team captain for LA Breakers ECNL and played for LA Surg MLSNext.
On choosing Butler: “I chose Butler to play at the highest level of college soccer while being at a university that will push me academically. I also love the idea of being at a big university in a big city!”
Oelberger is the son of Richard and Courtney Oelberger and has two siblings, David and Sarah. He plans to major in Psychology.
_____
Kai Pope
St. Louis, Missouri/St. Louis City (St. Louis City FC), 6′-1″/150lbs, M
In 2024, Pope’s U21 academy team was United Premier Soccer League national runner up as well as UPSL conference and regional champions. In 2022, his U17 team competed in the MLS Next national playoffs.
On choosing Butler: “I am very grateful for the opportunity to represent the university’s soccer team. I chose Butler because I felt it would give me the best collegiate athletic experience. Go Dawgs!”
Pope is the son of Anthony Pope and Eriko Pope and has three siblings, Emi, Kaden, and Naomi. He plans to major in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
BUTLER VOLLEYBALL
BUTLER VOLLEYBALL UNVEILS 2024 SCHEDULE
INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler volleyball team will play 13 matches inside Hinkle Fieldhouse this upcoming season highlighted by the Butler Invitational running from Sept. 19-21, the BIG EAST home opener against DePaul on Sept. 27 and Senior Day which is set for Nov. 16 vs. St. John’s.
Second-year head coach Kyle Shondell guided the Bulldogs to 13 victories in his first season on campus. Seven of those 13 wins were recorded at Hinkle Fieldhouse and seven total came against conference opponents.
“We wanted to find a blend of non-conference opponents that best reflected the challenges of the BIG EAST and I think we’ve done that,” Shondell stated. “Butler fans will love watching this team compete in Hinkle and on the road!”
The 2024 campaign will get underway on Aug. 30 this year with Butler participating in the Lipscomb Invite. The Bison will host Arizona State, Belmont, and California Baptist along with BU. The Bulldogs will face Arizona State on Friday, Belmont on Saturday, and host Lipscomb on Sunday.
The Sun Devils are fresh off a trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2023. They picked up postseason wins over Georgia and BYU before being eliminated by #1 seed Stanford in the regional semifinal. Lipscomb is another talented team in the tournament field that reached the finals of the ASUN Conference Tournament a year ago.
Week two of the non-conference slate will include three matches against in-state rivals. Butler will stay in Indianapolis for a road match at IU Indy on Wednesday, Sept. 4. That weekend, BU will host Indiana State on Friday and the Sycamores will return the favor the following day in Terre Haute.
A second tournament appears on the BU schedule during week three of the 2024 schedule. The Bulldogs will travel to Phoenix to play in the GCU Classic hosted by Grand Canyon. Action at Global Credit Union Arena will get underway with Butler facing Pacific on Friday, Sept. 13. The Antelopes will host Butler on Saturday and the ‘Dawgs will exit the tournament after playing Portland on Sept. 15.
Two of Butler’s three opponents in the GCU Classic played postseason volleyball in 2023. Pacific reached 18 wins and were a part of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship. Grand Canyon notched 23 wins a year ago, won the WAC Tournament, and would move forward to face Washington State in the NCAA Tournament.
The annual Butler Invitational will wrap up non-conference action for the Bulldogs in 2024. Ball State, Bellarmine and Wright State make up the tournament field that will be played on campus from Sept. 19-21.
Butler’s BIG EAST home opener will bring DePaul to Hinkle Fieldhouse on Sept. 27. The next day, BU will head to Cincinnati to take on the Xavier Musketeers.
October opens with Butler playing at Marquette and Creighton. Four-straight home matches follow that stretch with the Bulldogs hosting UConn, Providence, Seton Hall, and Georgetown.
The final two matches of October pit Butler against St. John’s and Villanova. The conference schedule flips after that weekend giving BU two road matches at PC and UConn before hosting four-straight against Marquette, Creighton, Villanova, and St. John’s. The final weekend of the regular season will send Butler to Georgetown and Seton Hall.
BALL STATE FOOTBALL
SIX TRANSFERS AND 20 FRESHMEN HIGHLIGHT CARDINAL NEWCOMERS AS SUMMER FOOTBALL DRILLS CONTINUE
MUNCIE, Ind. — Six transfer student-athletes highlight 26 newcomers added to the Ball State football roster this summer, as the Cardinals continue workouts prior to the official beginning of training camp on July 30.
Ball State, which opens the 2024 season on Saturday, Sept. 7 against Missouri State, added the six transfers to a crop of 20 freshman — 11 of whom signed with the program last December. Five additional freshman are expected to arrive for fall camp, bringing to 119 the total number of student-athletes anticipated to open training camp in two weeks.
Ball State’s latest additions include:
Ball State 2024 Summer Newcomers – Transfer Student-Athletes:
Tyce Ferrell, TE, Senior, Indiana State
Scott Hudson, DL, Senior, St. Francis (Ind.)
Kyran Montgomery, DL, Sophomore, Missouri
Myles Norwood, DB, Redshirt Junior, New Mexico State
Hunter Sanderson, DL, Graduate, Alma College
Braedon Sloan, RB, Senior, Eastern Kentucky
Ball State 2024 Summer Newcomers – Incoming Freshmen:
* Jalen Alexander, RB
* Kameron Anthony, TE
* Jordan Davis, DB
Bodie Derrer, QB
Drew Elliott, LB
* Sam Feeney, LB
* Dantu Gardner, LB
Grant Haworth, OL
Lane King, TE
* Micah Lillard, DB
Hunter Liszka, K
* Eric McClain, DB
Russell Peterson, DB
* Dion Smith II, DL
Cole Stumbaugh, P
* Layton Starks, LB
* Jordan Suggs, DB
Hayden Summers, DB
Brady Wolf, LB
* Willizhuan Yates, DB
* signed in December
Ball State 2024 Newcomers – Fall Camp Arrivals:
Kaiden Bond, RB, Freshman
Jayden Bernavil, DB, Sophomore
Eli Edwards, DL, Freshman
Ayden Ewing, RB, Freshman
CJ Lizza, LB, Freshman
BALL STATE TRACK
JENELLE ROGERS DONS RED, WHITE & BLUE AS PART OF TEAM USA HEPTATHLON DUAL IN GERMANY
MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State track All-American Jenelle Rogers participates this weekend in Wetzlar, Germany, as part of the 29th Thorpe Cup dual meet between the United States and Germany. USA men battle head-to-head with German competitors in the decathlon, and USA women battle Germany through the seven events of the heptathlon.
Rogers, who finished fourth in the NCAA heptathlon last month, and fifth in 2023, engages in her first competition with Team USA, after a narrow miss in qualifications for the U.S. Olympic Team which competes in Paris next month.
The two-day dual meet in Germany takes place this Saturday and Sunday.
INDIANA STATE BASEBALL
BASEBALL ALUM CASEY WHITTEN TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE INDIANA SPORTS HALL OF FAME THIS WEEKEND
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State baseball alum Casey Whitten is scheduled to be inducted into the Indiana Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 this weekend in Evansville, Ind.
Whitten, a 1993 MLB Draft selection by the Cleveland Guardians in the second round with the 53rd overall pick, was a three-year starter at Indiana State over his career with the Sycamores.
Prior to attending Indiana State, Whitten starred in both baseball and basketball at Gibson Southern high school. He was invited to the United States Junior Championships for two seasons and went on to star for Team USA in the Junior World Championships in Havana, Cuba, before stepping foot on campus in Terre Haute.
During his time with the Sycamores, Whitten immediately slotted into the Indiana State rotation finishing with an 8-2 record and 4.01 ERA over 67.1 innings as a true freshman. He followed up with a 10-4 mark and a 2.51 ERA over 104.0 innings in his sophomore season, before wrapping up his collegiate career with a 9-2 record over 107.0 innings with a 2.94 ERA in 1993.
Whitten’s collegiate statistics included posting an overall record of 27-8 and a 3.04 ERA over 278.1 innings. He still holds the Indiana State record with 299 career strikeouts over 46 appearances. He added 17 complete games during his time with the Sycamores.
The Evansville, Ind. native pitched six seasons in the Guardians’ organization making his way up to AAA-level before his career ended in 1998. He posted career marks of 32-29 with a 3.85 ERA over 465.0 innings with 430 strikeouts over his six seasons of professional ball.
MAGILL TO SIGN FREE AGENT DEAL WITH CHICAGO WHITE SOX
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State catcher Grant Magill is expected to sign an undrafted free agent deal with the Chicago White Sox organization following the conclusion of the 2024 MLB Draft.
Magill is the fourth Sycamore on the 2024 season to draw professional attention joining MLB Draftees Randal Diaz (5th Round – Washington Nationals), Luke Hayden (8th Round – Cincinnati Reds), and Jared Spencer (14th Round – Philadelphia Phillies).
Magill was a three-time Missouri Valley Conference All-Defensive team selection and was voted the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He became just the second Valley player in conference history to win the award multiple times. The Highlands Ranch, Colo. native’s prowess behind the plate led to him being voted the 2023 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division I Gold Glove Award as the top defensive catcher in the nation, and he was a finalist for the award again following the 2024 campaign.
The Sycamore backstop went mostly unchallenged in another dominant campaign behind the plate in the 2024 season. Magill threw out 16 attempted base stealers in the 2024 season and added three additional pickoffs to keep opponents moving from station to station around the base paths.
Teams only attempted seven stolen bases over the final 20 games of the regular season with Magill throwing out five runners, including two against Belmont on May 4. He had a four-game stretch spanning February 25-March 2 against Marshall, Vanderbilt, and Southern Miss where he threw out at least one runner per game.
Magill was even better in the postseason as teams attempted to challenge the redshirt senior early. He threw out two runners in an elimination game against UIC and added two more runners caught stealing against both Illinois and Western Michigan in the Lexington Regional over the first two games in the NCAA Tournament. His prowess behind the plate cautioned both Illinois and Kentucky from attempting to steal over ISU’s final two games of the season.
Magill put together one of his best offensive seasons at the plate over the course of the 2024 campaign finishing with a .281 batting average with 65 hits and a career-high six home runs, while adding nine doubles, 46 RBIs, and 34 runs scored.
He wrapped up his playing career with a .276 career average finishing with 196 hits and 128 RBIs, while adding nine home runs and 34 doubles. Defensively, he posted a .994 fielding percentage and caught 67 runners attempting to steal over his five seasons behind the plate.
VALPO FOOTBALL
HAFNER NAMED 2024 ALLSTATE AFCA GOOD WORKS TEAM NOMINEE
Valparaiso University football redshirt senior defensive lineman Sam Hafner (Green Bay, Wis. / De Pere) has been nominated for the 2024 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, as announced by the organization on Wednesday.
Established in 1992, the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team recognizes college football athletes for their unwavering commitment to community service and their “good works” off the field. This year’s 178 nominees champion causes including mental health awareness, youth mentorship, hunger relief, domestic abuse prevention and many more. In addition to being actively involved with a charitable organization or service group, each player must also maintain strong academic standing to be considered for a spot on the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
A final roster of 23 award recipients including 11 FBS players, 11 FCS players and one head coach will be announced in September. All members are selected by a voting panel of former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team members, current and former head coaches and journalists who look for exceptional leadership on and off the football field.
Hafner, who owns a 3.78 cumulative grade point average in biology/chemistry, started all 11 games on Valpo’s defensive line last season en route to All-Pioneer Football League First Team honors. He also garnered Phil Steele All-PFL First Team, the team’s Defensive Player of the Year award and College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors. In 2022, he earned Academic All-PFL First Team, All-PFL Second Team, CSC Academic All-District and Phil Steele All-PFL Third Team.
A 2023 team captain, Hafner is the community service leader for the Valpo football defense. He helps organize volunteer hours and keeps track of them for the team. He works summer football camp, participates in a Boys & Girls Club holiday event every December and is involved in the team’s Polar Plunge to raise money for special Olympics.
VINCENNES MEN’S BASKETBALL
VU’S DAMARIEN YATES COMMITS TO PLAY AT MEMPHIS
VINCENNES, Ind. – Trailblazer Damarien Yates (Somerville, Tenn.) announced earlier this week his plans to continue his basketball career in the fall by committing to play at the University of Memphis.
“Memphis is home,” Yates said. “I think this is the perfect fit both academically and athletically. This Memphis team is special and I think it’s going to be a fun ride. Lastly, it’s the legendary Coach Penny Hardaway.”
Yates burst onto the scene last season as a freshman for the Blazers, scoring in double figures in two of his first three collegiate games.
Yates’ best scoring stretch with the Blue and Gold came with a four game streak of scoring in double figures which began when he scored 23 points, including hitting a buzzer beater to give VU a win over Sauk Valley Community College in Iowa.
Yates set his Vincennes career-high in points in February after scoring 24, including hitting six of 10 from three-point range in VU’s win over Southwestern Illinois College.
Yates would save his best for last however, showing up on the big stage to score 22 points and grab seven rebounds in VU’s NJCAA Division I National Tournament game vs. Odessa College.
Yates would close out his Vincennes career with 245 points, 156 rebounds, 37 assists and 24 blocks, for an average of 7.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
Yates was one of only three Trailblazers last season to play in all 34 games, along with sophomore Karyiek Dixon (Enfield, London, UK), who signed with NCAA Division II Emporia State University last month and freshman Lebron Thomas (Bishopville, S.C), who will be returning to VU for his sophomore season this year.
Yates is the sixth Trailblazer to announce their plans for the upcoming season with NJCAA All-American Michael Osei-Bonsu (Bolingbrook, Ill.) headed to Missouri State University, Victor Lado (Louisville, Ky.) signing with Colorado State-Pueblo, Karyiek Dixon heading to Emporia State University and Kris and Kent King (Washington, D.C.) signing to play at Chaminade University.
Together, this group helped guide the Trailblazers to a 30-4 record last season, including winning the NJCAA Division I Region 24 Championship and earning a spot in the NJCAA Division I National Tournament.
“My favorite moments at Vincennes were spent with my teammates,” Yates added. “Talking, laughing and learning together.”
“Vincennes University taught me mental toughness on and off the court,” Yates said. “I matured quickly and had to learn to do things on my own. I learned how to manage time, communicate effectively and network appropriately.”
Yates will be joining a Memphis Tigers squad coming off of a 22-10 season last year, including an 11-7 record in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) under Head Coach and former NBA All-Star Penny Hardaway.
The Vincennes University Athletic Department would like to congratulate Damarien Yates on his commitment to continuing his education at the University of Memphis and wishes him good luck as he continues his basketball career next season.
INDIANA SMALL COLLEGE WEB SITES
INDIANA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS: https://iwuwildcats.com/
EARLHAM ATHLETICS: https://goearlham.com/
WABASH ATHLETICS: https://sports.wabash.edu/
FRANKLIN ATHLETICS: https://franklingrizzlies.com/
ROSE-HULMAN ATHLETICS: https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/
ANDERSON ATHLETICS: https://athletics.anderson.edu/landing/index
TRINE ATHLETICS: https://trinethunder.com/landing/index
BETHEL ATHLETICS: https://bupilots.com/
DEPAUW ATHLETICS: https://depauwtigers.com/
HANOVER ATHLETICS: https://athletics.hanover.edu/
MANCHESTER ATHLETICS: https://muspartans.com/
HUNTINGTON ATHLETICS: https://www.huathletics.com/
OAKLAND CITY ATHLETICS: https://gomightyoaks.com/index.aspx
ST. FRANCIS ATHLETICS: https://www.saintfranciscougars.com/landing/index
IU KOKOMO ATHLETICS: https://iukcougars.com/
IU EAST ATHLETICS: https://www.iueredwolves.com/
IU SOUTH BEND ATHLETICS: https://iusbtitans.com/
PURDUE NORTHWEST ATHLETICS: https://pnwathletics.com/
INDIANA TECH ATHLETICS: https://indianatechwarriors.com/index.aspx
GRACE COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://gclancers.com/
ST. MARY OF THE WOODS ATHLETICS: https://smwcathletics.com/
GOSHEN COLLEGE ATHLETICS: https://goleafs.net/
HOY CROSS ATHLETICS: https://www.hcsaints.com/index.php
TAYLOR ATHLETICS: https://www.taylortrojans.com/
VINCENNES ATHLETICS: https://govutrailblazers.com/landing/index
NUMBERS IN SPORTS
3 – 5 – 4
July 18, 1913 – It was bound to happen as all great thing eventually end. After 68 straight innings New York Giants ace Christy Mathewson gave up a walk.
July 18, 1915 – Boston Braves started a truly historic climb that moved them from last place to become the eventual world series champs of 1915.
July 18, 1921 – Babe Ruth, who would eventually wear Number 3 smacked his 139th career home run and with it became the all-time home run leader in Major League Baseball, taking the title from Roger Connor. The home run set another baseball record as well. The shot traveled an MLB record 575 feet in New York Yankees’ 10-1 win over the Tigers at Detroit’s Navin Field.
July 18, 1927 – Ty Cobb reached a milestone with his 4000th career MLB hit.
July 18, 1948 – Pat Seerey, wearing Number 5 for the Chicago White Sox had quite a game against the Philadelphia Athletics. The Chicago slugger smacked 4 pitches out of the park in an 11 inning game to help propel Chicago to a 12-11 thrilling victory. On June 2 that year the Cleveland Indians traded Seerey to the Sox due to his lack or production and an over abundance of outfielders on their roster. He sure was productive in the Windy City on this day!
July 18, 1960 – The National League brass voted to add the Houston and New York Mets franchises after pressure of a Continental League forming forced expansion.
July 18, 1962 – What an amazing start! Minnesota Twins Bob Allison, Number 4 and Harmon Killebrew, Number 3 hit grand slams in the 1st inning against the Cleveland Indians. The Twins power hitting tandem became the first players in history to hit bases loaded homers in the same inning. Minnesota went on to score a club record 11 runs in the beginning frame and defeat the Indians, 14-3.
FOOTBALL HISTORY
Football History for July 18
July 18, 1969 – NY Jets quarterback Joe Namath agrees to sell his share of Bachelors III, to stay in the NFL thus rescinding his threat of retirement that was made earlier in the off season. Namath and the AFL’s Jets had recently won Super Bowl III by knocking off the NFL’s Baltimore Colts. The two leagues had merged on June 8, 1966 but they still played opposite regular seasons until the 1970 season. There was still plenty tensions evident between the forces from each league in 1969. To NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle’s credit though the night club Bachelors III was apparently attracting some shady characters from the underworld, and Rozelle and the NFL wanted to distance themselves from the like as much as possible. They finally got Broadway Joe to see their wisdom and he sold his stake in the club.
July 18, 1994 – The New York Jets sign USA soccer goal keeper, Tony Meola to be their place kicker. The former Team USA goalie had just competed in the FIFA World Cup and he wanted to catch on in the US as a football player while many of his former USA teammates signed lucrative soccer contracts abroad. Unfortunately for Meola, the Jets had just recently signed a guy by the name of Nick Lowery. Lowery was at the time one of the most accurate kickers in NFL history but at 38 year old and the fact that a rules revision had moved the free kick line from the 35 yard line to the 30 it was thought that a strong legged soccer player like Meola may be able to play a part in the kicking game. Meola though had technique issues with kicking the unfamiliar more oval shaped football as opposed to the sphere shaped soccer ball he was trained to kick and the Jets and Meola parted ways after a short stint.
July 18, 2005 – The great wide receiver Tim Brown retired from playing pro football. According to NFL.com Brown was a nine time Pro Bowl selection as well as a member of 1990’s Hall of Fame All-Decade Team. He holds a few Raiders franchise records including 1070 receptions, receiving yards claiming 14,734 in his career there & 99 receiving touchdowns. These are all tops in Raiders history. The Notre Dame product and 1987 Heisman Trophy winner spent 16 seasons with the Raiders franchise as a player and one final year with the Tampa Bay Bucs in 2004.
Hall of Fame Birthday
July 18, 1905 – George “Mike” Wilson was a halfback from Lafayette College during the 1926 through the 1928 seasons who was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988 according to the National Football Foundation website. As a sophomore in the 1926 season, he began the year with a 69-yard run against Muhlenberg, scoring the first touchdown in Lafayette’s new stadium. The story of Wilson’s 1926 story opened with a bang and it also closed big when he finished with runs of 60 and 46 yards against Lehigh in the finale. Oh and what about the games in between, well he had a five-touchdown game in a 68-0 rout of Susquehanna and three-score contests against opponents Rutgers and Dickinson. Wilson a powerful halfback only had two years of football experience under his belt but ended up leading the nation in scoring that season, aided by 20 touchdowns, as he and his Leopard teammates went unbeaten with a 9-0 record and was named to the NEA (Newspaper Enterprise Association) All-America team.
TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY
July 18
1882 — Ambidextrous pitcher Tony Mullane of Louisville pitched with both hands in a major league game at Baltimore. Normally a right-hander, Mullane switched to the left hand in the fourth inning. He eventually lost 9-8.
1912 — The Chicago Cubs had 21 hits in 11 innings but still lost to the Philadelphia Phillies when Gavvy Cravath stole home.
1921 — Babe Ruth achieves 139 home runs and becomes the all-time home run leader in Major League Baseball, taking the title from Roger Connor.
1927 — Ty Cobb of the Philadelphia Athletics doubled off the glove of Harry Heilmann for his 4,000th hit.
1948 — Pat Seerey of the Chicago White Sox hit four home runs in a 12-11, 11-inning victory over the Philadelphia A’s in the opener of a doubleheader. Seerey hit two mammoth shots off Carl Scheib, one off Bob Savage and the game-winner off Lou Brissie in the top of the 11th.
1962 — Bob Allison and Harmon Killebrew of the Minnesota Twins each hit grand slams in the first inning of a 14-3 rout of the Cleveland Indians.
1970 — Willie Mays bounced career hit number 3,000 through the left side of the infield off Mike Wegener in the second inning of the San Francisco Giants’ 10-1 romp over the Montreal Expos. Mays becomes the 10th player to get 3,000 hits.
1987 — New York’s Don Mattingly tied Dale Long’s 31-year-old major league record when he hit a home run for the eighth consecutive game in the Yankees’ 7-2 loss to the Texas Rangers.
1999 — With Don Larsen on hand to help celebrate Yogi Berra Day at Yankee Stadium, David Cone pitched a perfect game. Cone dazzled the Montreal Expos, throwing the 14th perfect game in modern history to lead the New York Yankees to a 6-0 victory.
2001 — Roger Cedeno was 4-for-5 with a double, triple, two homers and six RBIs in Detroit’s 12-4 win over the New York Yankees in the second game of a day-night doubleheader.
2006 — Atlanta became the first team since the 1930 New York Yankees to score 10 or more runs in five straight games following a 14-5 victory over St. Louis. The Braves have scored 65 runs during their offensive explosion that included two 15-run games.
2016 — A federal judge sentenced the former scouting director of the St. Louis Cardinals to nearly four years in prison for hacking the Houston Astros’ player personnel database and email system in an unusual case of high-tech cheating involving two Major League Baseball clubs. Christopher Correa had pleaded guilty in January to five counts of unauthorized access of a protected computer from 2013 to at least 2014, the same year he was promoted to director of baseball development in St. Louis.
2018 — As has been rumored for some time, the Dodgers trade for All-Star SS Manny Machado, who will become a free agent at the end of the season. The price is steep for what amounts to a short-term rental: five prospects, including AA OF Yusniel Diaz, one of the stars of the most recent Futures Game. The Dodgers have a gaping hole to fill, however, having recently lost SS Corey Seager for the remainder of the season.
2022 — Youth is served in the annual Home Run Derby, held at Dodger Stadium on the eve of the All-Star Game as 23-year-old Juan Soto defeats 21-year-old rookie Julio Rodríguez in the final round, but not before 42-year-old Albert Pujols manages to upset NL home run leader Kyle Schwarber in the initial round. Two-time defending champion Pete Alonso goes down before Rodríguez in the semi-finals. Soto misses the title of youngest-ever winner ever by one day, behind 1993 winner Juan Gonzalez.
TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY
July 18
1896 — James Foulis wins the U.S. Men’s Open golf championship at Shinnecock Hills, Southampton, N.Y.
1921 — Babe Ruth achieves 139 home runs and becomes the all-time home run leader in Major League Baseball, taking the title from Roger Connor.
1927 — Ty Cobb of the Philadelphia Athletics doubles off the glove of Harry Heilmann for his 4,000th hit.
1951 — Jersey Joe Walcott, at 37, becomes the oldest fighter to win the world heavyweight title with a seventh-round knockout of Ezzard Charles at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.
1970 — San Francisco’s Willie Mays gets career hit number 3,000 off Montreal’s Mike Wegener in the second inning.
1975 — The trial of Dave Forbes, the first pro athlete to be indicted for a crime committed during play, ends in a hung jury. Forbes, of the Boston Bruins, was indicted for excessive force used on an opponent. Forbes’ victim was Henry Boucha in a game on Jan. 4 against the North Stars at Minnesota. The prosecution decides not to seek a retrial.
1987 — New York’s Don Mattingly ties Dale Long’s 31-year-old major league record when he homers for the eighth consecutive game in the Yankees’ 7-2 loss to the Texas Rangers.
1993 — Greg Norman shoots a 64 on the final day to set a record with a 13-under 267 and wins the British Open. Norman wins by two strokes over defending champion Nick Faldo.
1995 — Britain’s Jonathan Edwards breaks the 10-year-old world triple jump record, leaping 59 feet in the Salamanca Provincial meet. Edwards tops the previous mark of 58-11½ set in 1985 by Willie Banks of the United States.
1999 — Jean Van de Velde’s triple bogey on the 72nd hole sets the stage for Paul Lawrie to become the first Scotsman to win the British Open in his native land since Tommy Armour in 1931. Lawrie, 10 strokes behind when the final round began, wins the four-hole playoff over Van de Velde and Justin Leonard, making birdies on the last two holes to complete the biggest comeback in a major.
1999 — David Cone dazzles the Montreal Expos, throwing the 14th perfect game in modern history to lead the New York Yankees to a 6-0 victory.
2005 — In Oklahoma City, the United States loses a tournament title game for the first time since 1997, falling 3-1 to Japan in the championship of the inaugural World Cup of Softball. The Americans, which lost to Canada earlier in this tournament, lost to Australia 1-0 in the championship game of the 1997 Superball, held in Ohio.
2010 — Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa shoots a 1-under 71 for a seven-stroke victory at 16-under 272 in the British Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews. Lee Westwood of England finishes second.
2021 — Colin Morikawa wins the Open Championship 15-under par at Royal St. George’s by two strokes over Jordan Speith. It was Morikawa’s second major championship win following his 2020 The Masters win.
TV SPORTS THURSDAY
| NBA SUMMER LEAGUE | TIME ET | TV |
| Indiana vs Denver | 4:30pm | ESPN2 ESPN+ |
| Memphis vs New Orleans | 6:00pm | NBATV ESPN+ |
| Washington vs Sacramento | 7:00pm | ESPN ESPN+ |
| Orlando vs Brooklyn | 8:00pm | NBATV ESPN+ |
| LA Lakers vs Cleveland | 9:00pm | ESPN ESPN+ |
| LA Clippers vs Utah | 10:00pm | NBATV ESPN+ |
| Minnesota vs Houston | 11:00pm | ESPN ESPN+ |
| GOLF | TIME ET | TV |
| The Open Championship | 4:00am | USA |
| LPGA Tour: Dana Open | 12:00pm | GOLF |
| PGA Tour: Barracuda Championship | 5:00pm | GOLF |
| SOCCER | TIME ET | TV |
| Primera División: Argentinos Juniors vs Tigre | 5:45pm | Paramount+ |
| Canadian Premier League: HFX Wanderers vs Valour | 6:00pm | FOX Soccer Plus |
| Primera División: Independiente Rivadavia vs Gimnasia La Plata | 6:00pm | Paramount+ |
| Primera División: Instituto vs Independiente | 8:00pm | Paramount+ |
| TENNIS | TIME ET | TV |
| Newport-ATP, Hamburg-ATP, Gstaad-ATP, Bastad-ATP, Budapest-WTA & Palermo-WTA Early Rounds | 4:30am | TENNIS |
| Newport-ATP, Hamburg-ATP, Gstaad-ATP, Bastad-ATP, Budapest-WTA & Palermo-WTA Early Rounds | 12:30pm | TENNIS |